FLAT Art Book Fair Returns to Turin with New Venue and Dieter Roth Show

The second edition of FLAT, the international art publishing fair, will take place from November 2 to 4 at the Nuvola Lavazza in Turin, a former power station now headquarters of the coffee brand. Organizers Chiara Caroppo, Beatrice Merz, and Mario Petriccione selected 42 exhibitors from 11 countries. The scientific committee includes Liliana Dematteis, Richard Flood of the New Museum, David Senior of SFMOMA, Ken Soehner of the Met, and artist Lawrence Weiner. A highlight is the exhibition "Le pagine" dedicated to Dieter Roth's artist books, curated by Elena Volpato and supported by the Dieter Roth Foundation in Hamburg. Dematteis notes that Roth is internationally recognized as a primary figure in artist books, alongside Bruno Munari, Ed Ruscha, and Lawrence Weiner, but remains little known in Italy. She discusses the evolving role of artist books, noting increased recognition over the past thirty years as a traditional medium for art. Digital tools have improved production but sometimes reduce authorship. An artist book becomes a collectible when it is a conceived work by a recognized artist, with rarity determining value. The fair aims to establish itself as a cultural and social interlocutor alongside public institutions. New institutional participants include the Dia Art Foundation, the Museo di Monaco, and MIT Press.