This winter we had the pleasure of welcoming our very first high‑school class from Liceo Classico Gioberti in Turin. What unfolded was a two‑part workshop that introduced students to the world of contemporary art publishing, artist books, and the living practice of archiving.
1. At school: introducing Archivorum
The first session took place directly at the school. Through a short presentation, we introduced the Archivorum project and our PRE philosophy — Preserve, Research, Educate. Then together with the students, we explored:
- what contemporary art can be today
- what an archive is and how it works
- what an artist book is
We brought a selection of around twenty artist books — each unique in format, material, and content. The students were able to choose, browse, and examine them closely. Their curiosity was contagious: they asked thoughtful, surprising questions and engaged with the books with genuine enthusiasm. It became a lively moment of shared discovery.
2. At the library: making a fanzine
The second meeting took place in our library. After showing the class how the library is organized, we proposed a hands‑on activity: creating a fanzine, one of the simplest and most immediate forms of independent publishing.
We began with a short video on the history and spirit of fanzines, then shared our own collection. Next, we offered the students a large selection of photocopied images taken from our books — a visual toolbox ready to be transformed.
Working in small groups, they started choosing images, folding A4 sheets, and arranging pages to build a visual narrative. Soon the tables filled with drawings, cut‑outs, collage elements, handwritten notes. The fanzines became personal, expressive, and inventive.
Welcoming our first high‑school class was a joy. We hope this experience planted a seed: an invitation to see books not only as objects, or something static, but as spaces for imagination and creative freedom.
