What Exhibition Does to Books

Since the early 1960s, photography books have constituted such a meaningful space for experimentation that they have been elevated to the rank of art works in themselves. This mode of presentation of photography has become so widespread that it has been the subject of numerous exhibitions in recent years. When shown as part of an exhibition, a book is usually presented in a display case, with no possibility of handling it: it thus represents a disappointing experience for the visitor, as this presentation reduces the status of a work that is a priori manipulable to its mere testimonial function. In instances when they can be consulted, books are lined up on shelves, on reading tables or in library stacks. Given the constraints represented by these presentation methods, how do we rethink the photography book in exhibition situations? VOX is initiating a curatorial research cycle that aims to experiment with its modes of exhibition.