Vico's Spiral: Half a Century of Artists' Books

Opening Reception: September 10, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Gary R. Libby Focus Gallery from September 10 through December 2, 2026

Constance and Linton Grinter Gallery from September 10 through November 12, 2026.

The University Galleries at the University of Florida presents Vico’s Spiral: Half a Century of Artists’ Books curated by Robbin Ami Silverberg and Carole Naggar. The exhibition includes a thoughtful selection of historical and contemporary works, referential documents and related memorabilia. Originating at the Center for Book Arts in New York in 2024 to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to appreciate, examine and reflect on the recent history of the artist’s book. It will be on view at the Gary R. Libby Focus Gallery from September 10 – December 2, 2026 and at the Constance and Linton Grinter Gallery from September 10 – November 12, 2026.

This rich history is covered by presenting a selection of fifty artists’ books, each of them echoing the unique immanent hybridity of this centuries-old practice, emblematic for fluently incorporating the contradictions and paradoxes between the new and the old, the traditional and the experimental, the radical and the conversative and the political and the aesthetics, all within one’s own reach.

This international global survey presents a broad selection of artists, including widely recognized artists such as Tauba Auerbach, Bruno Munari, John Lathan, Bruce Nauman and Liliana Porter. According to curator Silverberg, the exhibition was “curated using the rubric of Vico’s Spiral, a nonlinear conception of history developed by Giambattista Vico (1668-1744), an Italian historian, political philosopher and jurist credited with founding the philosophy of history. Vico argued that ‘distinct periods of history can 
have identical or similar general characteristics; therefore, we can discuss them using an analogy’ and that history’s tendency ‘to repeat itself’ resembled the movement of a spiral or helix. Structured after Vico’s Spiral, the exhibition pairs books created in different decades yet concerned with similar themes or questions.”

A comprehensive and fully illustrated, 256-page catalog was published to accompany the exhibition, which includes curatorial introductions and thoughtful essays, revisions of the artists’ books history, theoretical debates, a playful list of books defining the field and a well-informed look to the global reach of the practice. It will be available for purchase at UG’s main space for the duration of the exhibition.

The artists’ books and the referential documents will be shown at the Gary R. Libby Focus Gallery, and the second part of the exhibition, which is focused on various ephemera including posters, flyers and postcards, can be seen at the Constance and Linton Grinter Gallery. Seventy-seven artists, including collectives, individual members and ephemera authors, are participating in the exhibition.

Robbin Silverberg will be giving a virtual talk for students and other members of our community; the dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

This exhibition is possible thanks to the generosity of the Center for Book Arts, its Director’s Corina Reynolds and staff, the curators, and our exhibition coordinator Kayli Ricther, the installation manager Mario Mutis, the assistant Tabatha Seiter, and the grad assistants Elise Goosen, Kyle Christiana and Azariah Rodriguez. We are thankful to Dianne Caple, Brian Caple, Colleen Rua and Dr. Elizabeth Ross for their vital support.