Ulises Carrión (1941, San Andres Tuxtla, Mexico – 1989, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), considered as "perhaps Mexico’s most important conceptual artist",de la Torre, Monica. (2013 Winter)
Ulises Carrión's The Poet's Tongue
''BOMB.'' Issue 122. Retrieved 03 October 2015. is widely known for his decisive role in defining and conceptualizing the artistic genre of artists' book through his manifesto ''The New Art of Making Books'' (1975). But his awareness and interest in new forms of art and innovative operations suggests that he was active in most of the artistic fields of his time. His activities include the creation of artworks, the development of theory, and the generation of multiple independent initiatives. Carrión's works include not only a great number of bookworks - as he named artists' books - and unique artworks, but also performances, film, video, and sound works. Carrión also did several editing, publishing, and curation projects, a couple of notable public projects, and various significant works and initiatives within the international community of mail artists during its most creative period. Equally essential for his artistic career is his engagement in several artists' run spaces. All his artistic activities are based on his detailed and rigorous theories.Schraenen, Guy (1992) We have Won! Haven't We?, Exhibition Catalogue, Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, 11-49

Career

Carrión was born in San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico in 1941. After studying philosophy and literature at the National University of Mexico,Conwell, Donna. (2002)
Personal Worlds or Cultural Strategies?
" ''Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil''. Retrieved 03 October 2015. he started his career as a successful and respected young writer. In 1964 he received a grant for further studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Shortly afterwards he went to study at the

Goethe Institute The Goethe-Institut (; GI, ''Goethe Institute'') is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit German culture, cultural organization operational worldwide with more than 150 cultural centres, promoting the study of the German language abroad and en ...

in Achenmühle, Germany, and to Leeds, England, where he studied English language and literature at the

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

and graduated with a diploma. In 1972 he definitively settled in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, an open and cosmopolitan city with a lot of artistic innovation and international exchanges. Here he became co-founder and member of the ''In-Out Center'' (1972-1974). During his tenure at In-Out Center, Carrión used a

mimeograph A mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo, sometimes called a stencil duplicator or stencil machine) is a low-cost duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The process is called mimeography, and a co ...

machine to self-publish several artists' books under the imprint In-Out Productions, including ''Sonnet(s), Tell me what sort of wallpaper your room has and I will tell you who you are,'' and ''Amor, la palabra.'' He also held his first solo exhibition, ''Texts and Other Texts,'' at the In-Out Center from May 28-June 9, 1973. In 1975, he founded ''Other Books and So'', the first space of its kind devoted to all varieties of artists’ publications, which in 1979 became the ''Other Books And So Archive''. He was also the co-founder of the ''Vereniging van Videokunstenaars'', later ''Time Based Arts'' (1983-1993) in Amsterdam, NL. Ulises Carrión died in 1989 in Amsterdam.

Recent Reception

Due to a certain cult of the overlooked and underestimated (post-)1960s avant-garde, Ulises Carrión has undergone an extraordinary appreciation in the 21st century. Exhibitions of his works and a flood of references to his artistic strategies and theories appear in current art works, essays, and conferences. Newly annotated, listed, translated, and edited works are further proof of renewed scholarly interest. The widespread reception of his manifesto ''The New Art of Making Books'' made him the central reference for the definition of the concept of the artist book. Also his bookshop gallery ''Other Books and So'' became, despite its short duration, a mythologized paragon. Ulises Carrión has long been recognized as an important conceptual compatriot to artists in Latin America.

Exhibitions

*''Die Neue Kunst des Büchermachens'', Weserburg, Bremen, 1992 *''We have Won! Haven't we?'', Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, 1992 *''¿Mundos personales o estrategias culturales?'', Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, 2002 *''Ulises Carrión e a sua Livraria'', Serralves, Porto, 2010 *''Gossip, Scandal and Good Manners: Works by Ulises Carrión,'' The

Showroom A plumbing fixture showroom, Canada, 1921 A showroom is a large space used to display products or show entertainment. Marketing location A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, such as automobiles, furniture, appliances ...

, London, 2010 *''Dear Reader. Don't Read'',

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía The ''Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía'' ("Queen Sofía National Museum Art Centre"; MNCARS) is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art. The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992, and is named for Queen Sofía. I ...

, Madrid, 2016
Museo Jumex
Mexico-City, 2017 * ''Ulises Carrión: Bookworks and Beyond,''

Princeton University Library Princeton University Library is the main library system of Princeton University. With holdings of more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, and 48,000 linear feet of manuscripts, it is among the largest libraries in the world by number of ...

, Princeton, NJ, 2024

Artists' books and other writings (Incomplete Selection)

*Carrión, Ulises. ''De Alemania'', Mexico, 1970 *Carrión, Ulises, Ed., F''rom Bookworks to Mailworks'', Other Books and So, Amsterdam, 1978 *Carrión, Ulises. ''In Alphabetical Order,'' Cres Publishers, Amsterdam; Agora Studio, Maastricht,

979 Year 979 (Roman numerals, CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. It was the 979th year of the Common Era and the Anno Domini designation, the 979th year of the 1st millennium, the 79th year of the 10th century, ...

*Carrión, Ulises. ''The Muxlows,'' Verlaggalerie Leaman, armstadt 1978 *Carrión, Ulises. ''Mirror box,'' Stempelplaats Amsterdam, 1979 *Carrión, Ulises. ''Rubber Stamp Books,'' Lomholt Formular Press, Odder, 1979 *Carrión, Ulises. ''Namen en adressen,'' Agora Studio, Maastricht, 1980 *Carrión Ulises. ''Second Thoughts'', VOID Distributors, Amsterdam, 1980 *Carrión, Ulises and Agius, Juan J., Ed., ''Beeld Boeken,'' Galerie da Costa, Amsterdam, 1980 *Carrión Ulises, and Crozier Robin, et. al., ''Kunst in der Öffentlichkeit'', Marode Editions, Würzburg, 1981 *Carrión Ulises, ''The New Art of Making Books.'' Nicosia : Aegean editions, 2001. A catalogue raisonne of Carrión's artists' books and related works was published by Document Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, in 2013.

References

External links

Selections from The New Art of Making Books

Sound Work "The Poet's Tongue"

Trailer "Bookworks Revisited"

Exhibition catalogue "Dear Reader. Don't Read.", Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid 2016

In-Out Center Archives: Ulises Carrión

"Ulises Carrión: Bookworks and Beyond" Digital Exhibition, Princeton University Library, 2024
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrion, Ulises Mexican artists Mexican male writers Conceptual artists Book artists Artists from Veracruz Writers from Veracruz 1941 births 1989 deaths People from San Andrés Tuxtla