Book making as an art form: exploring the boundaries

Welcome back to the podcast!In this episode, opening season 2 of Book Making as an Art Form, I speak with graphic designer and publisher Remco van Bladel about books, systems, and cultural memory. From growing up around a record shop and punk music, to co-founding Onomatopee and Archival Consciousness, Remco reflects on collaboration, the relationship between music and typography, and how publishing can become a tool for archiving knowledge. The conversation explores how books, archives, and digital systems shape the way culture is produced, organised, and remembered.Together, we spoke about:- Growing up around punk music, record sleeves, and drawing- Bookmaking as collaboration, just like playing in a band- Translating musical rhythm into typography and design systems- Building Archival Consciousness and new tools for cultural archives- Rethinking the book as both publication and archiveListen now to tune into the discussion about the significance of books outlasting people!__________Produced and hosted by Justina Nekrašaitė | ⁠The Book Photographer⁠Audio productions: ⁠Drexhage Media ⁠| Jasper DrexhageDesign: ⁠Thom Niessink⁠Recorded at Stedelijk Museum LibraryCommunication & promotion: Chana Levy❤️ Season 2 is supported by Pictoright, Het Cultuurfonds and many big-hearted individuals via Voordekunst. With particular appreciation to our principal supporters:Ruth Higgins, Luminosity Lab, Eleonoor Jap Sam / Jap Sam Books, Silvia Robertelli, Wilco Art Books Amersfoort, and Marc Gijzen.

In this last episode of Season 1 of Book Making as an Art Form: exploring the boundaries, I sit down with Michaël Snitker, Amsterdam-based graphic designer working across books, visual identities, and exhibitions for cultural institutions.Michaël’s practice blends clarity and complexity, modernist traditions and experimentation. Besides commissioned work, he initiates research projects and designs his own publications, often rooted in poetry and language.In our conversation, we explore:Growing up surrounded by art and poetryFluxus as a lasting and intuitive influenceWorking across four pillarsTrust, collaboration, and play as foundations of creative practiceInspired by the idea of tradition and sabotage, this episode reflects on bookmaking as a practice that balances rules with intuition, precision with imperfection, and legacy with experimentation.Produced by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book PhotographerAudio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper DrexhageDesign: Thom NiessinkRecorded at Huis van het BoekSupported by Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles, Luminosity Lab, Marc Gijzen, n.k.g. publications, Jeremy Jansen, Jesse Presse, Jap Sam Books, Michaël Snitker

In this episode of Book making as an art form: exploring the boundaries, I sit down with Caleb Cain Marcus, creative director of Luminosity Lab, a Brooklyn-based design studio. He is known for making books that are not just objects but experiences.Shaped by a childhood in the mountains of Colorado and a background in poetry, photography, and printing, Caleb shares his reflections on:Looking and curiosity as a lifelong practiceMoving from poetry and photography into book designWhy does he produce his books in EuropeCultural support, budgets, and the ecosystems around bookmakingIt’s a joyful conversation about attention, emotion, and the power of books.Produced by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book PhotographerAudio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper DrexhageDesign: Thom NiessinkRecorded at Huis van het BoekSupported by Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles, Luminosity Lab, Marc Gijzen, nkg publications, Jeremy Jansen, Jesse Presse, Eleonoor Jap SamCroudfunding now: https://www.voordekunst.nl/projecten/20394-podcast-book-making-as-an-art-form

In this episode of Book Making as an Art Form: Exploring the Boundaries, I sit down with Eleonoor Jap Sam, founder of Jap Sam Books a publishing house where books are treated as slow, living objects.With over two decades of experience, Eleonoor shares her reflections on:• Curiosity as the heart of being• The invisible care behind every book• Sustainability, budgets, and creative freedom• Balancing leadership, motherhood, and legacyIt's a gentle conversation about what it means to publish with care, stay generous in the process, and see each book as a carrier of knowledge, ideas, and inspiration. Produced by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book PhotographerAudio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper DrexhageDesign: Thom NiessinkRecorded at Huis van het BoekSupported by Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles, Luminosity Lab, Marc Gijzen, nkg publications, Jeremy Jansen, Jesse Presse, Eleonoor Jap Sam

In this new chapter of Book Making as an Art Form: exploring the boundaries, we sit down with Jesse Muller, founder of Jesse Presse, to explore the invisible care that keeps the art book world alive.Jesse is a distributor, editor, and writer who connects independent publishers with readers, bookshops, and museums across the Netherlands and Belgium. With nearly 20 years of experience, she reflects on the in-between space of art and entrepreneurship.This episode is a gentle deep dive into:The beginning of Jesse PresseThe invisible labor of book distributionBuilding artistic ecosystems through care and collaborationThe dance between artistic vision and commercial realityNew adventures and a new publishing house in townWhether you work with books, live surrounded by them, or simply love the quiet power of printed matter, this episode offers a thoughtful pause and a new way to see the life of a book.This podcast is made possible with the generous support of the Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV, Marc Gijzen, Nina Glockner, Luminosity Lab and Jesse Presse.Produced by Justina Nekrasaite l The Book PhotographerAudio productions by Drexhage Media |Jasper DrexhageGraphic design Thom NiessinkRecorded at Huis van het Boek

In this season finale, before the summer break of Book Making as an Art Form, we sit down with Bruno Devos. Bruno is publisher, cultural diplomat, and founder of Hopper & Fuchs to explore the poetic and practical realities of independent publishing.With over 30 years of experience, Bruno shares his journey from working in a print shop to traveling the world with a suitcase full of artist books. This episode is a generous deep dive into:Why is a book a homeThe invisible labour of bookmakingThe blurred lines between publishing, curating, and careHow fashion and bookmaking unexpectedly overlapThe fragility (and urgency) of the art book ecosystemWhether you're a maker, a reader, or simply curious about the lives of books beyond the page, this episode is worth listening to.This podcast is made possible with the generous support of the Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV, Marc Gijzen, and Luminosity Lab.

In this warm and generous conversation, we meet the duo behind Team Thursday: Loes van Esch and Simone Trum. Their collaborative studio in Rotterdam has shaped many precise typographic identities and books in the cultural field.From shared kitchen table experiments to moving into a church with fellow creatives, Loes and Simone reflect on:How their friendship evolved into a 12-year-long design partnership;The joys and frictions of working as a duo - and why 'just keep going' became a guiding principle;Their views on lingering, and why sometimes it’s more efficient not to be efficient;And how typography, for them, is not just a tool but part of the book’s soul.Whether you’re a student, designer, teacher, or book enthusiast, this episode is a generous insight into the layered world of collaborative graphic design.This recording is made possible with the support of The Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV, and Luminosity Lab.

In this rich and intimate conversation, we sit down with lithographer Marc Gijzen, whose invisible hand has shaped many beautiful photography and art books in the Netherlands and worldwide. From the smell of ink to the subtle art of collaboration, Marc shares:How exposure to visual culture in his childhood opened the way for his lifetime profession; He explains how essential teamwork is in bookmaking;And shares the story of printing full-color on black paper - a dream project come true. Whether you're a designer, photographer, or book lover, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what makes printed images sing.This recording is possible with the support of The Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV and Luminosity Lab.

In this episode of Book Making as an Art Form, I sit down with Jhen Chen, director of Limestone Books - a small but visionary art bookshop in Maastricht that’s redefining what publishing spaces can be.We explore how Limestone began as an idea among friends and grew into a community-led hub that resists traditional publishing norms. Jhen shares:Limestone Books: from concept to community hubRadical experimentation in art publishing: what does It really mean?The power of local: why Limestone Books prints locallyThe art of running a bookshop: balancing business and communityListen now and forward it to someone who believes books can change the world.Discover Limestone BooksWebsite: https://limestonebooks.org/Instagram: www.instagram.com/limestone_books_maas/Produced by: The Book Photographer, Justina Nekrasaitewww.thebookphotographer.comThis recording is possible with the support of The Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV, Susan Michlovitz, Jeremy Jansen and Huis van het boek.

We are kicking things off with the amazing Nina Glockner - an artist, educator, publisher, and somatic practitioner based in Amsterdam.Nina’s work is all about performative and collaborative processes, and in 2015, she founded n.k.g. publications, a platform that treats books as "space-time-containers." Instead of just documenting art, her publications unfold hidden and ephemeral aspects of creative work, making each book an experience of its own.We dive into her unique approach to publishing, the magic of collaboration, and the role of books in capturing and reinterpreting moments in time.And to wrap it all up, we ended with a beautiful quote from The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin.Join us for this deep (and fun!) conversation about bookmaking beyond the pages.Sneak peek into Nina's exciting upcoming projects:Binnenzwemmer/ Innerswimmer by photographer Paulien Barbas,Pink Days and Blue Νights (The Dancers) by artist Eleni Kamma,URGENT - Residency for Artworks  by artist L. Puska Herzens gebruikt by jewlery artist Benedikt Fischer & artist Rudy de Gruyl. Explore Nina’s work:Website: www.ninaglockner.deInstagram: @nkg_publicationsn.k.g. publications: www.ninaglockner.de/nkg_publicationsHost: The Book Photographer, Justina Nekrasaitewww.thebookphotographer.comThis recording is possible with the support of The Mondriaan Fund, L. van Heek Textiles BV, Susan Michlovitz and Huis van het boek.