BOOKS OF RESISTANCE — The Resilience of Artists’ Books in a Digital Age
The exhibition Books of Resistance — The Resilience of Artists’ Books in a Digital Age, at the Serralves Library, featuring books, ephemera, film, pamphlets, performance, and posters by BlackMass Publishing, Bread and Puppet Theater, Marcel Broodthaers, Carla Filipe, Sébastien de Ganay, Ryan Gander, Stefan Marx, Annika Ström, Martine Syms, Nora Turato, Kandis Williams, and Honza Zamojski, is organized by the Serralves Foundation — Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, and is curated by Christophe Boutin and coordinated by Sónia Oliveira.
The exhibition opens with the short film “La pluie” by artist Marcel Broodthaers from 1969. In this film, Broodthaers writes a text in the rain with ink, but as the rain washes the ink away, the artist/poet resists—continuously rewriting as the words dissolve. This act encapsulates the persistence of artistic expression, even in the face of erasure.
Artists’ books are intrinsically linked to the work of the artists who create them. They are an extension of the artist’s broader practice, often reflecting the same themes, concepts, and techniques found in their other works. These books provide a more intimate and direct way for the artist to communicate their ideas, offering a physical form that is deeply intertwined with their artistic identity. The simplicity of the medium—most of the time modestly produced and easily displayed — does not diminish its significance but rather reinforces the personal and direct relationship between the artist and their audience. In this way, artist’s books become a distinct yet essential part of the artist’s oeuvre, providing a unique space for exploration, expression, and reflection.
The artists invited to Books of Resistance, each bring distinct identities, concerns, and artistic inquiries. Coming from different generations, backgrounds, and artistic legacies, they explore a wide range of subjects through their books. Yet, despite their differences, their works converge in the vitrines of the exhibition, united in a collective act of reimagining the world.
BlackMass Publishing develops projects rooted in Black American culture, in a manner that resonates with the work of Marcel Broodthaers—an artist and poet who, in the 1960s, famously reinvented himself as a visual artist at the age of 40. Bread and Puppet Theater, founded in the USA during the Vietnam War, continues to feel strikingly contemporary in its radical engagement with political and social issues. Books were central to Marcel Broodthaers’ practice, bridging his work as a poet and visual artist. He used them as conceptual objects, challenging the limits between text, image, and art. Through typography, repetition, and erasure, his books became spaces of experimentation, questioning how knowledge is framed and consumed. Carla Filipe uses artist’s books as a seamless extension of her artistic practice, dissolving boundaries between mediums. Sébastien de Ganay merges his sculptural research with direct references to political prisoner lists worldwide. Ryan Gander’s books reflect his continuous stream of thought, moving freely and unexpectedly from one idea to the next. Stefan Marx, an artist living in Berlin, distills the complexities of modern life into bold, poetic, and deceptively simple designs. Annika Ström’s books emerge directly from her artistic practice, the artist will also perform The Upset Man at the opening of Books of Resistance: the resilience of artists’ books in a digital age. Martine Syms founded Dominica Publishing, which focuses on experimental works exploring Black identity, language, and cultural production. Nora Turato integrates language, performance, and graphic design into her practice, making artists’ books a natural extension of her work. Kandis Williams runs Cassandra Press, known for publishing critical theory, activist texts, and zines addressing race, nationalism, and power structures. Honza Zamojski adapts his bold, graphic style from book to book, constructing alphabets and visual systems.
Though their approaches vary, all these artists share a fundamental desire to understand the world we live in and propose new paths for reflection through the book as a medium.
As book bans increase globally, with physical books removed from schools and libraries and digital content censored or erased, the resilience of books becomes ever more evident. Unlike digital media, which is vulnerable to deletion, obsolescence, or ideological control, books remain tangible vessels of knowledge and expression, preserved and rediscovered across generations.
The historical practice of auto-da-fé, once enacted through public burnings of books and ideas, persists today in more insidious forms of censorship and erasure. Yet history proves that ideas resurfaced, rewritten, and reclaimed. Books stand as enduring symbols of resistance and intellectual freedom, their physical and ideological presence ensuring that knowledge endures beyond the reach of suppression.
Art can never elude poetry, and books stand as its ultimate sanctuary. Whether visually striking, politically charged, or conceptually radical, every artist’s book holds poetry within its essence—through language, materiality, or the quiet power to provoke. In this sense, artist’s books not only defy erasure but also transform into spaces of resistance, reflection, and reinvention, ensuring that ideas continue to shape and challenge the world.
INSTALLATION
William Jess Laird photographed the image displayed along the twenty-meter-long wall of the Serralves mezzanine. It captures the hands of Yusuf Hassan from BlackMass Publishing manipulating the elements that compose Three Star Books × BlackMass Publishing (on this project with Yusuf Hassan and Kwame Sorrel), a new edition by Three Star Books that merges BMP’s visual and linguistic elements into a new poetic language. The project was first revealed in New York in March 2025 at Canal Projects, in a discussion moderated by Farris Wahbeh, the Benjamin and Irma Weiss Director of Research Resources and Collection Management at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The walls, the vitrine, and the carpet are red, a color that evokes urgency, resistance, and intensity. Although books are meant to be handled, in this exhibition they will be displayed under a vitrine, emphasizing their role as preserved testimonies of thought and artistic expression. The protective display underscores both their fragility and resilience, highlighting their capacity to endure beyond immediate use—much like the ideas they contain.
THE ARTISTS
BlackMass Publishing (Founded by Yusuf Hassan in 2019, New York city)
BlackMass Publishing is a New York-based independent press and collective known for producing thought-provoking books, zines, and printed materials that explore themes of race, identity, and activism. The collective’s work often highlights underrepresented voices and challenges mainstream narratives through innovative and impactful designs. BlackMass Publishing is recognized for its commitment to fostering dialogue and social change through the power of print.
Bread and Puppet Theater (Founded in 1963, New York)
Bread and Puppet Theater, known for its politically charged performances and large-scale puppetry, also produces a range of publications including books, pamphlets, and posters. These printed works often reflect the theater’s commitment to social justice, anti-war activism, and community engagement. The publications are characterized by their bold, handmade aesthetic and serve as an extension of the theater’s mission to combine art with activism.
Marcel Broodthaers (1924–1976, Belgium)
Marcel Broodthaers, a Belgian artist and poet whose work redefined the relationship between language, image, and object. After years as a poet, he turned to visual art developing a conceptual practice that questioned the structures of art and institutions. His works often incorporated text, found objects, books and film. Broodthaers’ critical approach to museums, representation, and meaning continues to influence contemporary artistic discourse
Carla Filipe (b. 1973, Portugal)
Carla Filipe is an artist whose work explores social history and cultural identity through installations and found objects. Her art critically engages with historical and political themes, often provoking thought and dialogue. Filipe is known for her multidisciplinary approach and use of everyday materials.
Sébastien de Ganay (b. 1962, France)
Sébastien de Ganay explores the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and design. His work is blending minimalism and abstraction. Using materials like aluminum and resin, he challenges perception and functionality.
Ryan Gander (b. 1976, United Kingdom)
Ryan Gander is a British artist whose diverse practice spans sculpture, writing, design, performance, and architecture. Rejecting strict categorization, he playfully describes himself as a “Proper-‘Gander’-ist” rather than a conceptual artist. In addition to his artistic production, Gander has curated exhibitions, taught at art institutions, and created television programs on contemporary art and culture.
Stefan Marx (b. 1979, Germany)
Stefan Marx is a German artist renowned for his distinctive graphic style and engaging visual narratives. His work spans various media, including printmaking, illustration, and artist books, often featuring playful and thought-provoking imagery. Marx's art explores themes of communication and contemporary culture with a blend of humor and critical insight.
Annika Ström (b. 1965, Sweden)
Annika Ström is a Swedish artist renowned for her multidisciplinary approach, encompassing video, performance, and installation. Her work critically examines gender, identity, and societal norms through a feminist lens, employing humor and satire to challenge and deconstruct traditional narratives and stereotypes.
Martine Syms (b. 1988, USA)
Martine Syms is an American artist celebrated for her innovative use of video, performance, and installation. Her work explores themes of identity, race, and representation, often drawing from pop culture, social media, and historical archives. Through a blend of critical insight and humor, Syms interrogates the complexities of contemporary life, offering a sharp commentary on the intersections of technology, culture, and power.
Nora Turato (b. 1981, Croatia)
Nora Turato's artist books and publications are known for their dynamic interplay of text and visual elements, often reflecting her exploration of language and communication. Her works frequently deconstruct and remix everyday phrases and media content, creating a distinctive, fragmented narrative style. Turato's publications engage readers with a mix of humor and critical commentary on contemporary culture.
Kandis Williams (b. 1985, USA)
Kandis Williams is an artist, writer, and publisher whose work explores race, nationalism, authority, and eroticism through collage, performance, and video. She is also the founder of Cassandra Press, which publishes critical theory and activist texts. Her practice challenges historical narratives and power structures, often using fragmented imagery to reveal tensions within cultural and social systems.
Honza Zamojski (b. 1981, Poland)
Honza Zamojski's artist books are celebrated for their inventive design and conceptual depth, often blending text, imagery, and playful elements. His works frequently challenge traditional book formats, using them as a medium to explore themes of communication and visual storytelling.
The exhibition Books of Resistance — The Resilience of Artists’ Books in a Digital Age, at the Serralves Library, featuring books, ephemera, film, pamphlets, performance, and posters by BlackMass Publishing, Bread and Puppet Theater, Marcel Broodthaers, Carla Filipe, Sébastien de Ganay, Ryan Gander, Stefan Marx, Annika Ström, Martine Syms, Nora Turato, Kandis Williams, and Honza Zamojski, is organized by the Serralves Foundation — Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto, and is curated by Christophe Boutin and coordinated by Sónia Oliveira.
The exhibition opens with the short film “La pluie” by artist Marcel Broodthaers from 1969. In this film, Broodthaers writes a text in the rain with ink, but as the rain washes the ink away, the artist/poet resists—continuously rewriting as the words dissolve. This act encapsulates the persistence of artistic expression, even in the face of erasure.
Artists’ books are intrinsically linked to the work of the artists who create them. They are an extension of the artist’s broader practice, often reflecting the same themes, concepts, and techniques found in their other works. These books provide a more intimate and direct way for the artist to communicate their ideas, offering a physical form that is deeply intertwined with their artistic identity. The simplicity of the medium—most of the time modestly produced and easily displayed — does not diminish its significance but rather reinforces the personal and direct relationship between the artist and their audience. In this way, artist’s books become a distinct yet essential part of the artist’s oeuvre, providing a unique space for exploration, expression, and reflection.
The artists invited to Books of Resistance, each bring distinct identities, concerns, and artistic inquiries. Coming from different generations, backgrounds, and artistic legacies, they explore a wide range of subjects through their books. Yet, despite their differences, their works converge in the vitrines of the exhibition, united in a collective act of reimagining the world.
BlackMass Publishing develops projects rooted in Black American culture, in a manner that resonates with the work of Marcel Broodthaers—an artist and poet who, in the 1960s, famously reinvented himself as a visual artist at the age of 40. Bread and Puppet Theater, founded in the USA during the Vietnam War, continues to feel strikingly contemporary in its radical engagement with political and social issues. Books were central to Marcel Broodthaers’ practice, bridging his work as a poet and visual artist. He used them as conceptual objects, challenging the limits between text, image, and art. Through typography, repetition, and erasure, his books became spaces of experimentation, questioning how knowledge is framed and consumed. Carla Filipe uses artist’s books as a seamless extension of her artistic practice, dissolving boundaries between mediums. Sébastien de Ganay merges his sculptural research with direct references to political prisoner lists worldwide. Ryan Gander’s books reflect his continuous stream of thought, moving freely and unexpectedly from one idea to the next. Stefan Marx, an artist living in Berlin, distills the complexities of modern life into bold, poetic, and deceptively simple designs. Annika Ström’s books emerge directly from her artistic practice, the artist will also perform The Upset Man at the opening of Books of Resistance: the resilience of artists’ books in a digital age. Martine Syms founded Dominica Publishing, which focuses on experimental works exploring Black identity, language, and cultural production. Nora Turato integrates language, performance, and graphic design into her practice, making artists’ books a natural extension of her work. Kandis Williams runs Cassandra Press, known for publishing critical theory, activist texts, and zines addressing race, nationalism, and power structures. Honza Zamojski adapts his bold, graphic style from book to book, constructing alphabets and visual systems.
Though their approaches vary, all these artists share a fundamental desire to understand the world we live in and propose new paths for reflection through the book as a medium.
As book bans increase globally, with physical books removed from schools and libraries and digital content censored or erased, the resilience of books becomes ever more evident. Unlike digital media, which is vulnerable to deletion, obsolescence, or ideological control, books remain tangible vessels of knowledge and expression, preserved and rediscovered across generations.
The historical practice of auto-da-fé, once enacted through public burnings of books and ideas, persists today in more insidious forms of censorship and erasure. Yet history proves that ideas resurfaced, rewritten, and reclaimed. Books stand as enduring symbols of resistance and intellectual freedom, their physical and ideological presence ensuring that knowledge endures beyond the reach of suppression.
Art can never elude poetry, and books stand as its ultimate sanctuary. Whether visually striking, politically charged, or conceptually radical, every artist’s book holds poetry within its essence—through language, materiality, or the quiet power to provoke. In this sense, artist’s books not only defy erasure but also transform into spaces of resistance, reflection, and reinvention, ensuring that ideas continue to shape and challenge the world.
INSTALLATION
William Jess Laird photographed the image displayed along the twenty-meter-long wall of the Serralves mezzanine. It captures the hands of Yusuf Hassan from BlackMass Publishing manipulating the elements that compose Three Star Books × BlackMass Publishing (on this project with Yusuf Hassan and Kwame Sorrel), a new edition by Three Star Books that merges BMP’s visual and linguistic elements into a new poetic language. The project was first revealed in New York in March 2025 at Canal Projects, in a discussion moderated by Farris Wahbeh, the Benjamin and Irma Weiss Director of Research Resources and Collection Management at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The walls, the vitrine, and the carpet are red, a color that evokes urgency, resistance, and intensity. Although books are meant to be handled, in this exhibition they will be displayed under a vitrine, emphasizing their role as preserved testimonies of thought and artistic expression. The protective display underscores both their fragility and resilience, highlighting their capacity to endure beyond immediate use—much like the ideas they contain.
THE ARTISTS
BlackMass Publishing (Founded by Yusuf Hassan in 2019, New York city)
BlackMass Publishing is a New York-based independent press and collective known for producing thought-provoking books, zines, and printed materials that explore themes of race, identity, and activism. The collective’s work often highlights underrepresented voices and challenges mainstream narratives through innovative and impactful designs. BlackMass Publishing is recognized for its commitment to fostering dialogue and social change through the power of print.
Bread and Puppet Theater (Founded in 1963, New York)
Bread and Puppet Theater, known for its politically charged performances and large-scale puppetry, also produces a range of publications including books, pamphlets, and posters. These printed works often reflect the theater’s commitment to social justice, anti-war activism, and community engagement. The publications are characterized by their bold, handmade aesthetic and serve as an extension of the theater’s mission to combine art with activism.
Marcel Broodthaers (1924–1976, Belgium)
Marcel Broodthaers, a Belgian artist and poet whose work redefined the relationship between language, image, and object. After years as a poet, he turned to visual art developing a conceptual practice that questioned the structures of art and institutions. His works often incorporated text, found objects, books and film. Broodthaers’ critical approach to museums, representation, and meaning continues to influence contemporary artistic discourse
Carla Filipe (b. 1973, Portugal)
Carla Filipe is an artist whose work explores social history and cultural identity through installations and found objects. Her art critically engages with historical and political themes, often provoking thought and dialogue. Filipe is known for her multidisciplinary approach and use of everyday materials.
Sébastien de Ganay (b. 1962, France)
Sébastien de Ganay explores the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and design. His work is blending minimalism and abstraction. Using materials like aluminum and resin, he challenges perception and functionality.
Ryan Gander (b. 1976, United Kingdom)
Ryan Gander is a British artist whose diverse practice spans sculpture, writing, design, performance, and architecture. Rejecting strict categorization, he playfully describes himself as a “Proper-‘Gander’-ist” rather than a conceptual artist. In addition to his artistic production, Gander has curated exhibitions, taught at art institutions, and created television programs on contemporary art and culture.
Stefan Marx (b. 1979, Germany)
Stefan Marx is a German artist renowned for his distinctive graphic style and engaging visual narratives. His work spans various media, including printmaking, illustration, and artist books, often featuring playful and thought-provoking imagery. Marx's art explores themes of communication and contemporary culture with a blend of humor and critical insight.
Annika Ström (b. 1965, Sweden)
Annika Ström is a Swedish artist renowned for her multidisciplinary approach, encompassing video, performance, and installation. Her work critically examines gender, identity, and societal norms through a feminist lens, employing humor and satire to challenge and deconstruct traditional narratives and stereotypes.
Martine Syms (b. 1988, USA)
Martine Syms is an American artist celebrated for her innovative use of video, performance, and installation. Her work explores themes of identity, race, and representation, often drawing from pop culture, social media, and historical archives. Through a blend of critical insight and humor, Syms interrogates the complexities of contemporary life, offering a sharp commentary on the intersections of technology, culture, and power.
Nora Turato (b. 1981, Croatia)
Nora Turato's artist books and publications are known for their dynamic interplay of text and visual elements, often reflecting her exploration of language and communication. Her works frequently deconstruct and remix everyday phrases and media content, creating a distinctive, fragmented narrative style. Turato's publications engage readers with a mix of humor and critical commentary on contemporary culture.
Kandis Williams (b. 1985, USA)
Kandis Williams is an artist, writer, and publisher whose work explores race, nationalism, authority, and eroticism through collage, performance, and video. She is also the founder of Cassandra Press, which publishes critical theory and activist texts. Her practice challenges historical narratives and power structures, often using fragmented imagery to reveal tensions within cultural and social systems.
Honza Zamojski (b. 1981, Poland)
Honza Zamojski's artist books are celebrated for their inventive design and conceptual depth, often blending text, imagery, and playful elements. His works frequently challenge traditional book formats, using them as a medium to explore themes of communication and visual storytelling.