University Galleries presents: “Vico’s Spiral: Half a Century of Artists’ Books”
“Vico’s Spiral: Half a Century of Artists’ Books” will be on view at the University Galleries from September 10 – December 2, 2026. A reception will be held on September 10 at 5:00 p.m. at the Constance and Linton Grinter Gallery.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Elise Goosen
Email: elisegoosen@ufl.edu
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.
The arch of this span 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. This is the complete list: Bani Abidi, Golnar Adili, aka TAWLA, Rosaire Appel, Tauba Auerbach, Lynne Avadenka, Carol Barton, Delphi Basilicato, Beverly Basilicato, Raffaele Fodde, Brian Hannon, Mikhail Magaril, Barbara Mauriello, Patrick Nersessian, Carol Sturm, Barton Lidice Beneš, Mare Blocker, John Eric Broaddus, Stephanie Brody-Lederman, Chien-Chi Chang, Julie Chen, Amanda Chestnut, Uriel Cidor, Sas Colby, Matt Collins, Beatrice Coron, Sylvia de Swaan, Mindell Dubansky, Dikko Faust and Esther Smith, JC Fontanive , Lesley Foxcroft, Colette Fu, Oswaldo García, Karen Gorst, Kathe Gregory, Marilyn Landis, Russell F. Lewis, David Crane, Scott R. Kahn, Roni Gross, Romano Hanni, Yusuf Hassan (BlackMass Publishing), Barbara Henry, Douglas Howell, Earl Kallemeyn, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., Kumi Korf, Peter Kruty, Hedi Kyle, Syl Labrot, Guy Laramee, John Latham, Warja Lavater, Warren Lehrer and Dennis Bernstein, Margot Lovejoy, Barbara Mauriello, Scott McCarney, Clifton Meador, Richard Minsky, Bruno Munari, Bruce Nauman, Louise Odes Nederland, Hương Ngô, Sarah Nicholls, Jorge Panchoaga and Leon Muñoz Santini, Adam Pendleton, Michalis Pichler, Liliana Porter, John Risseeuw, Marilyn R. Rosenberg, Shirin Salehi, Maria Veronica San Martin, Miriam Schaer, Veronika Schapers, David Schulz, Susan Joy Share, Keith Smith, Taller Leñateros, Barbara Tetenbaum and Marilyn Zornado, Ann Tyler, Claire Van Vliet, Stella Waitzkin, Reginald Walker, Martha Wilson, Sam Winston, Diane Witlin, J. Meejin Yoon, Mary Ziegler.
Robbin Silverberg will present 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 and its director, Corina Reynolds, and staff; University Galleries curators and exhibition coordinator, Kayli Ricther; installation manager, Mario Mutis, and assistant, Tabatha Seiter, and graduate assistants Elise Goosen, Kyle Christiana and Azariah Rodriguez. We are thankful to Dianne Caple, Brian Caple, Colleen Rua and School of Art + Art History director, Elizabeth Ross, for their vital support.
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 10, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Gary R. Libby Focus Gallery and Constance and Linton Grinter Gallery, University Galleries, The University of Florida.
For additional info about the University Galleries and hours of operation, please visit: www.universitygalleriesufl.com
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