Independent Publishing House — Palermo
Independent Publishing House — Palermo
65,00 €
Sometimes a casual encounter could entail a long-lasting affection. As cliché as it may sound, this remark may serve as an accurate opening line for the comprehensive project conducted by Mauro D’Agati in Sicily, Marzia’s Family. The photographer met a six years old chubby yet fairly charming kid Marzia on the beach a decade ago. The girl, her parents and siblings would go to the Agglomerato Industriale beach of Termini Imerese for a holiday to escape their bleak routine. Sicilian summer nights are warm, so the family would just put an encampment on the parking point next to an old truck. The vehicle generates family’s main income as Franco, the father, sells vegetables and fruit from it six days a week excluding Sunday. The rest are unemployed or have temporary jobs. Giovanna, Claudio, Marzia, Riccardo and Martina are the siblings ranging from twenty-two to six years old. Their mother, Giusy is in her early forties and helped out around the house by Franco’s mother and his unmarried sister, Angelina. They live in Via Decollati, behind the Central Station in a neighborhood called Oreto. Their house, as well as many other ones in the area, used to be a stable. Apparently city residents are largely unaware of the living conditions of families like Marzia’s…
1. EDITION OF 300 10/2024
Texts by Kateryna Filyuk
Book design by Mauro D’Agati
Graphic design execution: Chanan Thongbhakdee
150 pages
24 × 32 cm
21 BW photographs
196 color photographs
Softcover
Digital print
ISBN 979-12-80423-46-7
Founded by a photographer, 89books emerged from the desire to elevate the book as an artistic medium and to create opportunities for photographers at the beginning of their careers, as well as for those with little or no previous experience in photobook publishing. Book proposals may be submitted at any time, either as a completed dummy or as an invitation to collaborate on the development of a project from a larger body of photographic material. In the latter case, 89books works closely with the artist on image selection, editing, sequencing, and graphic design in order to shape the work into a carefully conceived publication.
Folio is a special series of 89books dedicated to the production of fast-paced publications distinguished by a cohesive design and a standard format (21 × 28 cm). Each edition is housed in a printed envelope, reinforcing the tactile and collectible nature of the object. With Folio, 89books aims to respond to photographers’ desire to produce limited-edition publications quickly, while maintaining a strong commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Folio is continuously open to submissions from artists and photographers with fully developed projects seeking to transform their work into a carefully conceived publication.
The 89Books AIR Program (Artists in Residence) supports professionals working in contemporary art, with a particular focus on photography and bookmaking. During the residency, residents may either refine an existing project with the aim of transforming it into a book, or develop new work in the city of Palermo intended to become part of Quaderno Palermo – a collection of impressions of the city and its inhabitants conceived in dialogue with the 89books team. The residency also seeks to question and expand the very notion of the “book,” exploring new possibilities for how photobooks can be made, structured, viewed, and experienced. Residencies typically last two weeks. Shorter or longer stays may be arranged individually. Selected candidates receive a letter of support to assist with applications for external funding covering travel expenses and per diems.
Quaderno Palermo is a special publication series dedicated to photographers’ interpretations of Palermo, a city endlessly photographed and immortalized in cinema. At once visually captivating and deeply neglected, Palermo offers a rich and layered terrain for artistic exploration. Projects may be developed independently or within the framework of the 89books Artist-in-Residence program. The intended outcome is a publication in the Quaderno Palermo series.
