Expanded Artists’ Books: Envisioning the Future of the Book
CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS – Two $10,000 commissions will be awarded

The Center for Book and Paper Arts, a program of the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago, recently received a $50,000 Arts in Media grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a new electronic publishing initiative, Expanded Artists’ Books. This grant will support an award of two $10,000 commissions for new artworks for the iPad. These will have physical counterparts that intersect, modulate, or inform the digital components of the artwork.


ABOUT
Artists’ books claim all aspects of the book (format, typography, structure, etc.) as potentially expressive. As immersive hybrid experiences for the reader/viewer, these works expand the limits of what we traditionally think of as a book. Simultaneously, we consider that tablet-based mobile platforms are emerging as a dynamic arena for investigation of the notion of the book. Expanded Artists’ Books utilize the rich capabilities of the tablet platform to imagine new forms that a book might take, such as exploring how interactivity challenges the traditional closure of text or the performance of time. We are currently focused specifically on Apple’s iPad as a site for exploration of this conceptually rich territory.


COMMISSION DETAILS
We are seeking proposals from artists for projects that will exist both on the iPad and as physical books.

Artists are challenged to explore ways in which the artwork can take both virtual and physical manifestations, examining the advantages of each and how the interplay between the two can be leveraged to provide a comprehensive and powerful expression.

The proposal should address how the project manifests within these two modalities.

While the commissioned artist must have the technical capability to be able to create and deliver the iPad experience, previous experience creating physical books is not required. If the commissioned artist does not have experience working in the book arts, technical assistance will be provided.


SELECTION CRITERIA
In addition to the quality of the concept, the criteria for selection of proposals will include the artist's demonstrated facility with the digital tools (prior iPad development experience highly valued), the ability and willingness to work with technical assistance and collaboration, and demonstrated ability to carry a project through to timely completion.

TO VIEW THE CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS, ADDITIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS, AND TO APPLY CLICK HERE.

Please email CBPA-APPLICATIONS@colum.edu with any questions. You may also refer to our FAQs