The Bookmobile Project: By Way of an Introduction

On YH485

YH485 is a publishing and curatorial initiative based between Nottingham, Great Yarmouth (Norfolk) and London founded by Aaron Juneau, Jonathan P. Watts and Harriet Mitchell respectively. The imperatives of the organisation centre on facilitating interdisciplinary and discursive publishing and curatorial projects that take as their impetus the inclusion and engagement of an audience whose exposure to contemporary art practices and activities is limited. Further to this YH485 endeavours to aid the deconstruction of existing boundaries between rural and metropolitan practices as well as those between contemporary art practices and other, non art related, cultural disciplines.

On Bibliobuses

Bookmobiles or bibliobuses are large vehicles fitted with shelves and display units designed to house small libraries of books. These libraries travel to certain designated locales, known to their relevant communities, park up, and, once stationary, open their doors to offer a service in much the same way as a local static library. The obvious advantage of the mobile library is, as the name suggests, is that it is peripatetic. As such, it provides a more easily accessible pedagogical resource for those who may otherwise be unable to reach their closest conventional library, quite literally bringing knowledge and information to the doorstep.

This idea is not without precedent in the contemporary art world. One example that might be seen as an influence is Michael Asher’s ‘Caravan Project’ of the 1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007 Muenster Sculpture Projects. Another, more directly associated, example is the work ‘Bibliobus’ by Christian Phillip Mueller. ‘Bibliobus’ used an out of service municipal bus, which was placed in the parking lots of six schools in Biel, Switzerland for three-week periods. The bus displayed each respective schools art publications and provided facilities with which to make copies of these publications that could be taken away.

On the Project

As part of Sideshow 2010 in Nottingham YH485 has been commissioned to convert a 1985 Volkswagen Campervan into Sideshow’s very own bibliobus and transitory reading room using this often overlooked model for mobilizing and sharing knowledge and discussion to make evident the research interests of the regions artist community. Each recipient of a Sideshow commission (group or individual) has been asked to offer one or two books to the resource that has influenced their individual practices or, more specifically, their Sideshow project.

The intention is that the Bookmobile acts as a perambulatory point of cultural exchange that houses literary material and information of particular relevance to its shifting location. The library will be situated outside, or near to, many of the galleries or exhibition spaces that are involved in sideshow and the British Art Show for a specific duration. These venues include Tether, The New Art Exchange, The Art Organisation, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Contemporary and The Castle.

YH485 is delighted to introduce David Bell who will act as the Bookmobile’s ‘writer in residence’ for the duration of Sideshow and carry out research into the utopian pedagogical influences of the Bookmobile and consider a ‘future history’ of a utopian Nottingham. Here you will find David’s posts as the project develops along with regular updates as to the bookmobiles whereabouts and activity. We hope you enjoy following the bus!

Aaron Juneau – Co-director YH485