{"product_id":"cities-under-quarantine-the-mailbox-project-archive","title":"Cities Under Quarantine – The Mailbox Project • Archive","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn his book\u003cem\u003e Ingres and Other Parables\u003c\/em\u003e, John Baldessari wrote “it’s difficult to put a painting in the mailbox.” His desire to create hand-held art to be viewed outside gallery walls was integral to his practice with artist’s books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the Coronavirus outbreak escalated into a global pandemic, artists have found deeper meaning in their personal spaces and studios – not just as places of production but as sanctuaries and safe spaces. We see a desire to engage artistically with many of our friends around the world who all now find themselves creating art from home, even with the most limited of materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn light of such drastic closure of all art institutions, museums and airports, we have begun to question what our collective spaces can offer us as we stay apart together. What could Dongola, not just as publishers, but as believers in the power of artistic connection encourage through our peers?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis shift to the intimate and personal reminds us now, more than ever, that an artist’s book will always be an essential practice expressive of and responsive to the world around us in extraordinary times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so, it is for these reasons that we have decided to reach out to many friends scattered in different cities through handmade, hand-stitched books created and designed in-house by \u003ca rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/dongola.com\/about-dongola\/\"\u003eAbed Al Kadiri\u003c\/a\u003e. The books were made with the highest commitment to aseptic conditions possible and are being mailed to all the artists invited to speculate on our present and shared future through the creation of their own artist’s books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is an invitation to join us in thinking along the same lines, through a practice we have dedicated ourselves to for the past few years. We believe in the relevance of the artist’s book today, now more than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA compilation of the completed work will be published as a limited-edition book by Dongola upon the project’s completion and will hopefully be exhibited in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe notebooks were shipped to 59 artists in 22 cities around the world: Youssef Abdelké, Majd Abdel Hamid, Khalid Albaih, Bashar Al Hroub, Lulwah Al Humoud, Abed Al Kadiri, Mohamed Al Shammarey, Mounira Al Solh, Walid Al Wawi, Dia Al-Azzawi, Said Baalbaki, Dalia Baasiri, Nasreddine Bennacer, Khaled Barakeh, Serwan Baran, Dia Batal, Taysir Batniji, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Ali Cherri, Ziad Dalloul, Cristiana de Marchi, Fatima El Hajj, Dina Haddadin, Gilbert Hage, Samia Halabi, Hazem Harb, Mohamed Joha, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Hiba Kalache, Mohammad Kazem, Ammar Khamash, Khaled Khreis, Ghada Khunji, Issam Kourbaj, Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, Kevork Mourad, Leila Muraywid, Mahmoud Obaidi, Mohammad Omar Khalil, Sadek Rahim, Nizar Sabour, Faisal Samra, Mona Saudi, Abdulrahim Sharif, Laila Shawa, Tarlan Tabar, Hoda Tawakol, Mary Tuma, Nazar Yahya, Raed Yassin, Fadi Yazigi, Shawki Youssef Camille Zakharia, Hani Zurob.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eVision and Direction – Abed Al Kadiri\u003cbr\u003eProject Manager – Laetitia El Hakim\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eArtist’s Books Cover and Project Design – Reza Abidini\u003cbr\u003ePublication Design – Lynne Zakhour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTexts – Venetia Porter, Abed Al Kadiri and Dia Al-Azzawi\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Copy Editing – Eugenia Bell\u003cbr\u003eArabic Copy Editing – Mariam Janjelo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eArtist’s Books reproductions – Laetitia El Hakim and Blanche Eid\u003cbr\u003eMaking of Photographs – Courtesy of the Artists\u003cbr\u003eVilla Romana Reproductions – Okno Studios\u003cbr\u003eMathaf Reproductions – Laetitia El Hakim and Ali Al Ansari\u003cbr\u003eDia al-Azzawi Reproductions – Anthony Dawton\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eLogistics – Zeina Chamseddine\u003cbr\u003ePublications Specifications:\u003cbr\u003e240 x 300 mm\u003cbr\u003eMagno Volume Matt White 130gr\u003cbr\u003eSirio Orange 140gr\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSilkscreen Cover – SS silkscreens, Beiru\u003cbr\u003ePrinting – 53dots, Beirut\u003cbr\u003eHard Cover binding – Beaino Book Bindery, Beirut\u003cbr\u003eEnvelope production – The Print Shop, Beirut\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eLimited editions of 750\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dongola Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51773796942144,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0723\/3663\/8272\/files\/Citiesunderquarantine_DB.png?v=1727470525","url":"https:\/\/stormbookstore.com\/products\/cities-under-quarantine-the-mailbox-project-archive","provider":"STORM books \u0026 people","version":"1.0","type":"link"}