The Blue Pyramide — a one-day crash course

Do you like to experiment with images? Do you like handmade things, the smell of paper, sun and nature? Discover the world of both blueprint (cyanotype) and bookbinding under the guidance of visual artists Kirsten Heuschen and Katrin Kamrau. The work of biologist and illustrator Anna Atkins will inspire us – the heritage-protected industrial complex The Rathenau Halls on the banks of the river Spree is our terrain. We work exclusively with non-toxic materials and you will learn all the necessary basics of these two simple and fascinating techniques. At the end of this one-day crash course, you will have made your unique blue object and you can apply the newly learned techniques independently. No previous knowledge required; suitable for children together with an adult.

The Blue Book — a two-day crash course

Botanist Anna Atkins is credited with having published Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions in 1843, the first book illustrated with photographs. This is the starting point of our two-day-workshop, which brings blueprint and bookbinding into the present day.
Blueprinting, also called cyanotype, is a historical photo technique with beautiful cyan shades. In our workshop, you will learn all necessary basics of this simple, non-toxic and fascinating process. We expose photographic templates and objects – it’s about playing with light and light-sensitive materials, in short: it’s about the essentials of photography. Dare to experiment.
The resulting blueprints will be processed into unique publications using various manual bookbinding techniques such as Leporello, thread stitching, book screws or ring binding. At the end of this workshop, you will have made your unique blue book and you can apply the newly learned techniques independently. No previous knowledge required.

Kirsten Heuschen about herself

I am a visual artist working with experimental photography and Décollage. I studied photography and media at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and received my diploma in 2008.
In 2011 I discovered my fascination for cyanotype and developed my own approach of working with it. Since 2013 I have been leading art courses and workshops for adults, teenagers and children. It makes me happy when I can share my enthusiasm for art and creativity.  // www.blauesglueck.berlin

Katrin Kamrau about herself

Photographs and publications accompany me as an artist and mediator. My main focus lies on examining the process of image-making and reception of lens-based images. I studied photography and art at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and KASK (Ghent). As a freelance mediator with a focus on contemporary art, I work for museums, academies and art spaces. In the recent past for M HKA, tique.art, Extra City (Antwerp), Museum M (Leuven), Merz Academie (Stuttgart), Kühlhaus (Görlitz). In 2010 together with Robert Schlotter, I founded malenki.net — an independent initiative for self-publishing within the arts.  // www.malenki.net

Tailor-made versions of this workshop for academies, institutions or private groups are possible. If you are interested in a workshop on cyanotype and bookbinding, please reach out to us: malenki@malenki.net

The printed Image — on photography and publishing

A tailor-made one-week workshop for a group of 20 students from all fields of study at Merz Academy in Stuttgart / Germany.

Do you like clippings & zines? Are you keen on using scissors, glue, paper and a lot of do-it-yourself cultures? What is your interest in photography right now?
In this one week workshop, led by Katrin Kamrau printing is central. We cut, copy, reproduce and make collages based on our own personal interests in lens-based images. Our materials are texts and images from newspapers, magazines, websites, advertising as well as books or from your own archive. We start with smaller communal exercises before delve into our own work. Publications by such as Eva Kot’átková, Lotte Reimann or Rabih Mroué will be our inspiration. In addition, an introduction to simple bookbinding techniques is possible.
At the end of the week your own zine, collection, publication or poster will be realized!

Are you interested as well in tailor-made versions of this workshop for academies, institutions, initiatives and groups? Please reach out to us: malenki@malenki.net

M HKA’pen
is a series of tailor-made 4-day summer courses, exploring the field of writing within contemporary art, initiated and supervised by Fleur van Greuningen and Katrin Kamrau

With masterclasses by
Carmien Michels
Simone Atangana Bekono
Nathan Gotlib

Find more impressions of this workshop at the website of M HKA

M HKA’pen III
In 2020 M HKA’pen will centre around the work of Panamarenko. A workshop in digital or physic form, having the Panamarenkohuis in Antwerp as its base.

M HKA’pen I
The first edition took place in 2018 during Sanguine / Bloedrood, an exhibition curated by Luc Tuymans at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, Belgium. After a tour through the exhibition, which examines thematic parallels in Baroque and contemporary art, we start with writing exercises in dialogue with certain works on display. Throughout the days, stories are written, poems emerge, essays take shape. At the third day of our workshop, this shape is further developed during master classes on performance and graphic design under the guidance of Carmien Michels (performance) and Nathan Gotlib (typography / graphic design).

On August 4, 2018, the created works will receive their deserved attention from many visitors, while being presented at M HKA during the Museum Night in Antwerp.

Participants: Angela Peters, Petri van Asseldonck, Wenying Gang, Annemie Ghekiere, Joke Schrauwen, Lea Theunissen

M HKA’pen II
During this four-day writing workshop at M HKA in Antwerp, we will look for inspiration in the literary and experimental group exhibition AMBERES – Roberto Bolaños Antwerp by senior curator Nav Haq. We start with several warm-up sessions to let the ink flow. Later on, during the exploration phase, we focus on content, form and rendering of one of the developed texts. During a master class led by Simone Atangana Bekono, the writer will support all participants with professional feedback in one-on-one sessions. What will your text be? A video, a screaming session, a wall text, a roll of kitchen paper? The audience of the Museum Night can discover it on August 3, 2019, in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp.

Participants: Julia Alegre, Celine de Greef, Liesbet Grupping, Hadewych Louwagie, Marjon Meijer, Inne Peeters, Leen Raats

Find some impressions of this workshop here.

M HKA’pen III
In 2020 M HKA’pen will centre around the work of Panamarenko. A workshop in digital or physic form, having the Panamarenkohuis in Antwerp as its base.

at
M HKA
Leuvenstraat 32,
2000 Antwerpen

Tailor-made versions of this workshop for academies, institutions or private groups are possible. If you are interested in a workshop on creative writing within the arts, please reach out to us: malenki@malenki.net

_bulk
Aleksei Kazantsev
ARP2 Publishing
Bartleby & Co.
CAPS
CeeCee
Peter Dekens
Clean Press & Lord Nelson
Collectiv National
Curious &
DOLCE
Eline De Clercq
Ergo Pers
The Eriskay Connection
Fellow Beings
FOMU
Forbidden City / Destination Earth
From Me To You Publications
Für Dich Verlag / Risiko Press
The Future Publishing and Printing
GUP Magazine
Hanne Van Dyck
Hristina Tasheva
IBASHO
INFABORE
In The End, Books?
Jef Van Eynde
KONT magazine

Leo Reijnders
Lomez Publishing
malenki.net
M HKA
Ludo Mich
NXS WORLD
Occasional Papers
OMBLOS editions
Office of Useless Art
PERSONA
Pink House Press
printroom Rotterdam
Postfluxpost
Project O & De kleine arbeid
Rio Staelens
Roel Jacobs
Self Publishers United
Siska Vandecasteele
Stichting Kunstboek
TBOOKS COLOGNE
Tique
Troebel Neyntje
Valiz
Vaneen
Wendy Marijnissen
Wouter De Bruycker Fine Arts
Zoff Books