Join us for an online celebration for the opening of two new exhibitions at Center for Book Arts. The evening will include exclusive walk throughs of each exhibition, alongside remarks by the artists and curator. NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Center for Book Arts will hold the opening reception entirely online.

Curated by Maryam Ghoreishi, Out of Sight, Beyond Touch not only investigates the sense of sight, but also of touch. Through the artworks of Amina Ahmed, Bahman Mohammadi, Masoumeh Mohtadi, and Shirin Salehi, each of these senses—either acting alone or working together—reminds the visitor of the vital role of discovery and understanding that sight and touch play together in determining tactile sensations. Visitors’ interactions with each artwork imply the concept of mystery via confrontations with unfamiliar objects or situations. While some works are covered and may only be touched, some can only be viewed, not touched: each concealing a different approach, resulting in the process of discovery. The exhibition is also designed with a reading section containing multiple books in English, Farsi, and Spanish, with a sculpture by Ramyar Vala.

These books have been used either by the artists in the exhibition as conceptual sources or by the curator in her research, thus revealing the research and construction process. In accompaniment to the exhibition, there will be a panel discussion with the artists and researchers, a master class with Shirin Salehi, and an interactive lecture with Amina Ahmed.

The 2019 Scholars in Advanced Studies in the Book Arts and Workspace Artists in Residence will be exhibiting work produced over the course of their one-year residency at the Center for Book Arts in their group exhibition, New Book Art, featuring work by Slavko Djuric, Keith Graham, Christina Martinelli, Jennifer Grimyser, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Jihyun Hong, Kathleen Ma, Laura Nova, and Kevin Umaña.

All artwork images are by Amina Ahmed, taken by Samoel Gonzalez.