Claudia de la Torre founded Berlin-based backbonebooks in 2011 to formalize her own practice and publish other artists’ books. Creating objects, fields, spaces in relation to the book as a highly historical & contemporary medium – backbonebooks performs consistently in a flexible, conceptual and collaborative process, aiming to open a new perspective on what a book can be.
Exhibitions, Book Fairs, Lectures & News
2023
- Blank. Raw. Illegible… Artists’ Books as Statements (1960–2022), at Leopold-Hoesch-Museum (show)
- Inexistent books, Salong Oslo (show)
- Offprint London, Tate (book fair)
- Access through tools, invited by the LCC London (talk)
- Performar el Libro, TEA Tenerife (workshop and lecture)
- BIGA by Alexander Jackson Wyatt, book launch at Bunnings Alexandria (book launch)
- Publishing as an Artistic Practice ,Center for Book Arts (online presentation)
- window installation «El libro que tiende a desaparecer» by Simón Ramirez at Printed matter St. Marks
- Place a stamp here, group show at Centre des Livres d’Artistes curated by Jan Steinbach
- EQTD, a book launch at Casa Bosques, with Simón Ramirez
- abC Shangai, special solo presentation
2022
- Miss Read, HKW, Berlin (book fair)
- Super Books, Munich (book fair)
- backbonebooks, special presentation in Art Verona (Itlay)
- Books are Bridges in Rotterdam (publishers gathering)
- Size matters, EinBuch.haus Berlin (talk)
2021
- February 24-28, Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair
- March 11, Books are Bridges, solo show at A—Z presents (Berlin)
- Prix Bob Caille du livre d’artiste, nominated books shown at the Bibliothèque des Beaux-Arts de Paris (France)
- SONDERLAGE 4/5, featuring backbonebooks at Lage Egal (Berlin)
- Multiple Formats (online presentation)
2020
- FIEBRE Photo Book Festival (online photo book fair)
- UNFOLD, Shanghai Art Book Fair (book fair)
- I Never Read, Art Book Fair Basel (book fair)
- Nominated for the Prix Bob Calle du livre d’artiste with the book Heaven, by Uta Pütz
- Inexistent Books, at I Never Read, Art Book Fair Basel (book fair, traveling books)
- Guest artist at The impossible Library, Hamburg (solo show)
- Paper Positions, invited by EinBuch Haus, Berlin (art fair)
- Imprimé, Intimité, group show at Galerie UQO Quebec, Canada (group show)
2019
- Tokyo Art Book Fair, Tokyo (book fair)
- All in – I curated a show at The white, Tokyo (curatorial project)
- Proposiciones a realizar, III Feria de Libro de Artista, Chile (group show)
- Miss Read: The Art Book Fair Berlin (book fair)
- ALPINA, Pförtnerhaus, Freiburg (solo show)
- Page Tuners, OED Gallery Cochin, India (group show)
- REPUBLISHED: Questioning Boundaries, Das Weisse Haus, Vienna (group show)
- Cities in Flight or The Satellite Variations, Solo show, EinBuch Haus, Berlin (solo show)
- Vienna Art Book Fair # 1 (book fair)
- Friends with Books, Book Fair, Berlin (book fair)
- OBA x Libro Vivo, IUAV Venezia, Italy (group show)
2018
- Lyrikmarkt, Berlin (book fair)
- NY Art Book Fair, NYC (book fair)
- Malmö Artists Book Biennial, Sweden (book fair)
- Miss Read: The Art Book Fair Berlin (book fair)
2017
- Artists’ Books for Everything, Zentrum für Kunstlerpublikationen, Bremen (group show)
- Cities in Flight, or the Satellite Variations, Rinomina, Paris (solo show)
- It’s a Book!, Hgb Leipzig, Leipzig (book fair)
- Friends with Books: Art Book Fair Berlin (book fair)
2016
- The book as an artwork as an exhibition as a book, Lage Egal, Berlin (group show)
- Ed Ruscha Books & Co., Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills (group show)
- The NY Art Book Fair, PS1, NY (invited by Boabooks and Edition Fink, book fair)
- The Tokyo Art Book Fair, Tokyo, Japan (invited by Hembramala, book fair )
- Miss read, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin (book fair)
- Friends with Books, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (book fair)
- Small Comfort, Art 3, Valence, France (solo show + book presentation)
2015
- 1012 Digitos de Phi, 34 Composiciones, Despacio Gallery, Costa Rica (presented by Lucía Madriz)
- backbonebooks bakes, Home Alone, Clermont-Ferrand (solo show + talk)
- The covers might be soft, Cafe Tschichold, Mexico City (solo show)
- Ed Ruscha Books & Co., Gagosian Gallery, Paris (group show)
- Launching of Mode Intersit Express, Gallery 9, Sydney (presented by Alexander JW)
- Arts-Libris Book Fair, Arts Santa Monica, Barcelona (book fair)
- Offprit London, Tate Modern, London (in collaboration with Múltiplos)
- Arpologize me, Ángulo Cero, Mexico City (solo show)
- RE: Follow-Ed (after Hokusai), Cabinet du livre d’artiste, Rennes (curated by Michalis Pichler & Tom Sowden, group show)
- The Macedonian Artists’ Books Library, Museum of the City of Skopje, Skopje (invited by Thomas Geiger, group presentation)
- Launching of Diccionario Enciclopédico de la lengua Española, Múltiplos, Barcelona (presented by Emiliana Larraguibel)
- Offprint Paris, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris, Paris (in collaboration with Múltiplos, book fair)
2014
- Clap Temporärer Raum, Essen (group show)
- Zuspiel, Galerie Valentien, Stuttgart (group show)
- The Questions Library, Halle 14, Leipzig (solo show)
- Temporary Artist’s Book Shop, Lage-Egal Raum für aktuelle Kunst, Berlin (group show)
- Art Book Weekend, Devon’s Mouth, Oslo (book fair)
- L.A. Art Book Fair, Los Angeles (in collaboration with Alumnos 47, book fair)
- NY Book Art Fair, PS1, NYC (in collaboration with Moritz Grünke, book fair)
- The Liberated Page, Le Commun, Bâtiment d’art Contemporain, Genève (curated by Izet Sheshivari, group show)
- Friends with Books, Cafe Moskau, Berlin (book fair)
2013
- Zine and Self-Published Photo Book Fair: The Americas, The Camera Club of New York, NYC (book fair)
- Le Photobookfest, Picture Tank, Paris (book fair)
- First Thirteen, Salon Kennedy, Frankfurt am Main (group show)
- Ed Ruscha Books & Co., Gagosian Gallery, NYC (group show)
- Ed Ruscha Books & Co., Brandhorst Museum, München (group show)
- I never read, Kaserne, Basel (book fair)
- Wood(s), Zwinger Gallery, Berlin (curated by Laurence Rickels, group show)
- The Questions Library, 45 cbm, Kunsthalle Baden Baden (curated by Hendrik Bündge, solo show)
2012
- Books, Mucharaum / Kunstakademie Karlsruhe, Karlsuhe (curatorial project)
- A retrospective of tomorrows artists, Schillerpalais, Berlin (curated by Ferial Nadja Karrasch, group show)
- Welch Schöne Utopie, Wilhelmspalais, Stuttgart (group show)
- backbonebooks, Gust Van Dijk, Tilburg (solo show)
- I never read, Kaserne, Basel (book fair)
- KIOOSK Independent Publishing Fair, Krakow (book fair)
Workshops
2023
- (April) Independent Publishing Retreat, Tuscany.
- (May) workshop and lecture at TEA, Tenerife.
2022
- (April) Growing the Archive, PrintRoom, Rotterdam.
- (March) Something new under the experimental sun, Berlin (Halle design students)
- (February) Artists’ Books workshop, Art Academy Karlsruhe (Ulla von Brandenburg Class)
2021
- (November) Artists’ Books workshop, Kunstakademie Kassel
- (September) Artists’ Books workshop, Port25 – Raum für Gegenwartskunst, Mannheim, Germany
- (March) Artists’ Books workshop, Fine Arts University, Split, Croatia (invited by Neli Ruzic)
2020
- Since March, hosting an Artists’ Books Workshop on a monthly basis in my Studio
- Shapes and Grids, Hamburger Bahnhof, part of Friends with Books, Berlin
2019
- (April) Artists’ Books workshop, ESBAN Nîmes, France
2018
- (April) Artists’ Books workshop, Hochschule für Kunst, Design und Populäre Musik Freiburg
- (November) Artists’ Books workshop, Kunstburö Stuttgart
2017
- Artists’ Books workshop, Art Academy Karlsruhe (Daniel Roth Class)
- Artists’ Book workshop, Art Academy Karlsruhe (Marijke van Warmedam Class)
- Artists’ Books workshop, Charlotte-Wolf Collegium, Berlin
- Artists’ Books workshop, Art Academy Karlsruhe (Silvia Bächli Class)
Lectures & Talks
2023
2022
2021
2020
- Sesiones Naranja, invited by Naranja Publicaciones | Chile
- Claudia de la Torre, Side A, at EinBuch.haus |Berlin, Germany
- Encuentro de Proyectos Editoriales, talk at Aeromoto | Mexico City
2019
- Artist talk, at Alternative Space the White | Tokyo Japan
- Books Books (artists’) Books Symposium | Galerie im Körner Park, Berlin
- Publishing and Archival Strategies in Artistic Practices Symposium, as part of VOLUMES, curated by Michael Hiltbrunner and Anne-Laure Franchette | Zürich, Switzerland
2018
- Hgb, Leipzig, Germany
- Publishing as an artistic practice | Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado La Esmeralda. México City
- Eat the Arts, a conversation | Berlin, Germany
2017
- Can I send a fax from a library? | Claudia de la Torre in conversation with Roland Früh (head of the Kunstbibliothek Sitterwerk, St Gallen). Le Foyer, Zürich, Switzerland
- No gloves please | SPRINT Milano, Italy
2016
- Publishers Corner | Arts Libris, Barcelona
- Backbonebooks | Camberwell College of Arts, London
- Claudia de la Torre | Picture Berlin. Invited by Joachim Schmid. Tête Berlin, Germany
- Fink & Friends presents: backbonebooks | OOR Records, Zürich, Switzerland
2015
- Backbonebakes | Home Alone, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Claudia de la Torre | Aeromoto, México City
- Claudia de la Torre | Paris Photobook Club, Paris, France
- Speakers’ Corner, Arts Santa Monica, Barcelona. “A+WS” NADA, NYC
2014
- SPOTLIGHT: Claudia de la Torre & backbonebnooks | Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany
Awards
2021
2018
- Shannon Michael Cane Award: Granted by Printed Matter Inc.
Press
2012 – 2023
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- Entretien, Claudia de la Torre, Point Contemporain (interview by Alex Chevalier)
- Publication Revue #1. / Interview (Edited by Mélissa Djinekou)
- Digitale Ateliers, Claudia de la Torre. A film by the Kunststiftung Baden-Würtemberg
- “Claudia de la Torre”, The impossible library / Interview
- backbonebooks charla con un libro es un libro, Conversation
- About backbonebooks, a video
- «10 Berlin-based self-publishers to know at Miss Read 2019», SLEEK MAG
- The Intimacy of Handheld Art, artists features, listings project, NYC (article by Naomi Miller)
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“backbonebooks”, KubaParis / Zeitschrift für junge Kunst, Berlin ( interview by Amelie gr. Darrellmann)
- “Entrevista a Claudia de la Torre”, GasTV, Mexico City (interview by Pamela Ballesteros)
- “Reading Art: backbonebooks”, Ángulo Cero, Mexico City (article by Andrea Cuevas)
- “Satz & Säge”, BNN Newspaper, Karlsruhe (article by Markus Mertens)
- “An interview with Claudia de la Torre”, Friends with books, Berlin (interview by Brigit Rieger)
- “Entrevista a backbonebooks”, La Otra L, Mexico City (interview by Tamara Ibarra)
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