136. The realm of the possible

The exhibition will feature over 25 artist’s books born out of collaborations between contemporary artists and poets, created by around fifteen authors. The exhibition invites visitors to look at, leaf through, touch and listen to the books, focusing on the sensory experience of reading and the rediscovery of the physical nature of the material. Each book is a rare object, sometimes in one-off piece or produced in extremely limited runs of up to six pieces, hand-written and handcrafted.

This collection of works marks the start of a project that is set to grow to the symbolic figure of 136 books, a figure linked to a little mystery kept secret by the founder of the publishing house Maria Luisa Domeniconi. The initiative encourages a direct, tactile engagement with books as physical objects, overcoming the distance imposed by traditional conservation practices to help people rediscover the value of craftsmanship.

The exhibition is deeply in tune with the atmosphere of the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, a historic residence associated with the brothers’ collecting activities Fausto Bagatti Valsecchi e Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi. The volumes interact directly with the Historical Library, a setting characterised by wooden furnishings, Latin mottos and scientific instruments, evoking the tradition of the Cabinet of curiosities and the integration of text and exhibition space.