The new art practice of the neo-avant-garde was expressed in a great diversity of printed matter. From books on bulletins to loose papers and magazines, the printed magazine became an instrument for documenting changing attitudes in the handling of art. In particular, artist magazines are a unique source of information, but also a telling testimony to the 'do-it-yourself' practice that characterizes the post-war avant-garde. Such publications usually appeared in-house of the artists or artists' groups that also provided the texts, illustrations and design.
DABNAP, Digital Archive or Belgian Neo-Avant-garde Periodicals focuses on the network of artists that has been able to form and crystallize through the extensive body of publications.
The first step in this research is the digitization of a representative collection of artist periodicals from the period 1950-1990. Based on this, a web archive is constructed that unlocks the facsimiles of the periodicals in an innovative interface, but also adds new layers of information.
The new artistic and visual possibilities of the web are then addressed to adequately visualize this network. The result is a 'living archive'.
Researcher: Sarah Bekaert
Promoters: Thomas Crombez (KAA), Johan Pas (KAA), Trudi Noordermeer (UA), An Renard (Heritage Library Hendrik Consience), Walter Daelemans (CLiPS, UA)