After a series of virtual meetings, intense exchanges of ideas, and gradual maturation over time, the moment has come in 2024 to set M.A.L.A. in motion! Monique Allain, a visual artist based in New York, Chica Boyriven, a visual artist based in Paris, Lili Pardini, a book creator residing in Embu das Artes, and Estela Vilela, a bookbinder based in São Paulo, have united their experiences to offer an online artistic residency focused on the production of artist books.

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The main goal of this residency is to stimulate exchange and foster discussions on emerging and cross-cutting themes that are expressively manifested in the universe that intertwines the library, books, reading, and contemporary artistic production. There is a visible growth of artists who, with greater access to production tools, now move from digital to handmade within a single project, embracing the artist book as an expressive language and a catalyst for their journeys. Be it the photobook, book-object, visual poem, zine, etc., regardless of the opacity and ambiguity of the term’s definitions, the artist book has emerged as a unique and innovative form of expression across various cultures.

 

With the aim of establishing consistent and periodic exchanges, we created M.A.L.A., to which we wish many journeys, displacements, new perceptions, and expansions of aesthetic possibilities, exploring different perspectives through multiple lenses.