DELETRIX: Fanaticism, censorship: preserving the dogma without any breach, limiting freedom of thought and expression. Suspension of language. Making word opaque, repressing knowledge, attacking intelligence. Gestures of aggression - unnecessary, futile – filtered through time: invoking the plasticity of artists such as Pollock, Tàpies or Mathieu. Does violence redeem aesthetics?
Joan Fontcuberta
WHAT IS DELETRIX
Book and exhibition by Joan Fontcuberta, award winning photographer, which will open on November 12, 2013 at Santa Mònica Arts Centre in Barcelona. DELETRIX exhibits examples of censorship on written texts throughout history, reminding us the importance of defending freedom of expression.
WORDS AGAINST CENSORSHIP
Over the last six years, Joan Fontcuberta (Barcelona,1955) has been collecting images of censored texts by different authors from different periods, from a variety of libraries and archives in Europe and North America.
With these images as a reference point, Joan Fontcuberta and the art critic Manel Guerrero, developed the idea of producing an art project on censorship with the direct involvement of the Catalan PEN.
As a result of this dialogue, the Catalan PEN launched the DELETRIX project, which includes an exhibition of the images by Joan Fontcuberta and various texts in which internationally acknowledged writers reflect on these testimonies to intolerance. The project is complemented by an art book, which will constitute a literary and artistic reference about censorship.
Deletrix: Erasmus. Censored text by Erasmus of Rotterdam, published in Basel in 1541
IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM
The theme of the project is closely related to the work of PEN International which, since 1921, promotes activities in defence of freedom of expression and the free flow of ideas, as well as the protection of people’s cultural and linguistic heritage. Therefore, with this activity we want to help build awareness of the lack of these types of freedom, through the interpretation of some graphic testimonies that history has left us.
GET INVOLVED TO MAKE DELETRIX A REALITY
Joan Fontcuberta and the Catalan PEN have been working on the idea of this exhibition - images, texts, the book, the VENUE- and now, at last, all this preparatory is ready to take tangible form.
To make it possible we need to fund:
The edition and translation of the DELETRIX book
The enlargement of the exhibition images
The design and production of the exhibition
The general coordination of the project
If DELETRIX becomes a reality, thanks to all of your contributions, yet another way will have been made possible to warn against the many forms of harming freedom of speech, spread by the reflections of international creators. Moreover, you will become the possessor of a signed work by one of the most respected photographers.
Would you like to be a part of this project of culture and freedom?
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE DELETRIX BOOK
Published jointly by Ediciones Polígrafa and Catalan PEN
Pages: 96
Size: 21 x 25,50 cm
Illustrations: 40 (approx.)
Paper characteristics: Symbol TaTami (Fedrigoni) 170 g/m
Printing: 4+4+ laminate for plates
Cover: Geltex 130 g/m
Binding: hard cover
Presentation: polywrapped
Languages: text in original language + Catalan and English
Edition: 1.500 copies
Cover of DELETRIX book
CALENDAR
The DELETRIX project began six years ago with the search for censored material by Joan Fontcuberta. In 2011, one of those images became the poster for the International Day of the Imprisoned Writer Commemoration, organised by Catalan PEN. That is how the collaboration between PEN and Joan Fontcuberta came into being.
After this first contact, at the end of 2012, the photographer proposed that the PEN should produce this project that unites the graphic testimonies and the thoughts of the authors in a dialogue between images and words. From then on, during 2013, the idea began to grow and be defined; deciding on the the format of the exhibition and book, contacting the writers, so if we reach the fund needed, DELETRIX exhibition -and art book- will take place on November 12 at Arts Santa Mònica in Barcelona.
DELETRIX has also been created to become a travelling exhibition so, after the opening in Barcelona, we anticipate programming it for a number of literary events around the world.
Poster by Joan Fontcuberta for the International Day of the Imprisoned Writer Commemoration, 2011
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
When the exhibition of the works and the book become available, the offers will be processed and sent to all those who have collaborated in making this project of solidarity and the defence of freedom possible.
For further information about each element of the pledges and their characteristics, please refer to the project blog.
Alireza Darvish pel PEN Català
Deletrix Llobet, Joan Fontcuberta
9 comments
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PEN Català
Author
Benvolgut Ferran, a hores d’ara, tal com apuntes, sembla que no serà possible poder assolir la quantitat que ens havíem proposat, però volem igualment tirar endavant el projecte.
Aquesta xifra es va demanar per tal de poder realitzar les tres parts del projecte (edició del llibre, producció de l’exposició i itineració nacional i internacional). Amb la quantitat aconseguida fins ara, de moment, tirarem endavant només una, l’edició del llibre.
Com que no hem assolit el nostre propòsit a Verkami, i si no s’hi arriba no es fan efectives les aportacions, ben aviat ens posarem en contacte amb els mecenes perquè puguin formalitzar la seva contribució per tal de realitzar el llibre.
Volem agrair a Verkami la plataforma que ens ha proporcionat per donar visibilitat al projecte, i que, encara que no assolim el total demanat, amb els mecenes que han sorgit podrem tirar endavant una part del projecte.
Moltes gràcies a tots pel vostre compromís, i si teniu algun altre dubte sobre com seguirem amb "Deletrix" no dubteu en consultar-nos-ho.
Ferran
Té pinta que no s'arribarà als 50.000€, que per cert, em sembla una quantitat altíssima. Què fareu, ho intentareu per alguna altra banda?
PEN Català
Author
Sí, coneixem la sèrie “Censored” que registra textos censurats per la Inquisició.
El projecte “Deletrix” també és el resultat d’una recerca sobre textos censurats, en aquest cas per biblioteques públiques i privades de tot el món. Aquesta recerca també s’ha ampliat pel que fa a diverses èpoques i temàtiques (hi ha fragments de llibres d’anatomia o de partitures de música).
A més, les imatges estan acompanyades per reflexions sobre la censura de diversos escriptors de renom que, en segons quins casos, inclús n’han patit les conseqüències.
Tot aquest projecte es materialitzarà també en un llibre d’art on quedarà plasmat aquest diàleg entre imatges i textos que caracteritza “Deletrix”.
Mariana
Coneixeu la sèrie "Censored" de Milagros de la Torre. Què creieu que aportaria aquesta nova proposta?
PEN Català
Author
Gràcies, és una bona proposta Anna, ho estem considerant.
Anna
Hola! Crec que podrieu incloure una "recompensa" d'una quantitat menor (5-10 euros) per a aquelles persones que vulguin col·laborar però que no puguin aportar els 25 euros mínims actuals. Penso que hi hauria gent que la pagaria ;-)
Josep Llauradó
Els mecenes podran escollir quina obra els correspon, o l'assignació serà aleatòria?
PEN Català
Author
La fotografia que s'ofereix serà la mateixa per a tots els mecenes. A l'entrada del blog on hi ha la descripció de les recompenses podràs veure la imatge que oferirem a la capçalera (és l'anomenada "Deletrix: Stephanus # I"). L'hem triat, precisament, perquè va esdevenir la imatge del projecte al simbolitzar l'inici de la col·laboració de Joan Fontcuberta i el PEN Català en el cartell de 2011. Només en el cas que superéssim el tiratge, en faríem un de nou amb una altra imatge. Esperem que la proposta us sembli adient. Gràcies per l'interès.
Josep Llauradó
Els mecenes podren triar quina de les fotografies disponibles els corresponen, o l'assignació és aleatòria?