This comprehensive volume documents the nearly forty-year trajectory of Boekie Woekie, a pioneering artist-run bookshop in Amsterdam established in 1986. More than just a bookshop or gallery, it has functioned as an ongoing art project in its own right.
Deeply rooted in the spirit of the 1960s avant-garde movement, Fluxus, Boekie Woekie has maintained an experimental practice from its inception, questioning the boundaries between art and everyday life, the artwork and the commodity. By reinterpreting the medium of the book, they have expanded the possibilities of artists' books through publishing, exhibiting and selling. The space continues to evolve as an autonomous hub where artists' books from around the world converge.
The book features essays by researchers, alongside excerpts from the diary of founding member, artist Jan Voss, and a wealth of archival material. It sheds light on their radical ethos, international network, and unconventional printing practices from multiple perspectives. For those interested in the history of artists' books, DIY publishing culture, or how alternative spaces for expression are born and sustained, this book offers a wealth of insight.
