On 5 June 2026, the conference “Aufschlagen, Weiterdenken. Künstler*innenpublikationen erforschen: Zugänge zwischen Objekt, Theorie, Geschichte und ästhetischer Praxis” (“Opening up, thinking onwards. Exploring artists’ publications: connections between object, theory, history and aesthetic practice”), in which the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change” is involved, will take place in Bremen. The venue of the conference is the  auditorium of the University of the Arts Bremen (Am Speicher XI 8, 28217 Bremen).

The conference will focus on selected objects from the collections of the Weserburg Centre for Artists’ Publications and the Research Centre for East European Studies (University of Bremen). Drawing on this rich, and partly little-known, body of material, the conference will foster a dialogue between art-historical research and praxis-aesthetic reflection. What experiences do artists’ publications offer when we open them, turn their pages and reflect further? What knowledge do they generate, and what imaginary or actual actions do they inspire? Since at least the 1960s, artists’ publications have created ‘alternative spaces’ for art beyond commercial publishing houses (Gwen Allen 2011) and opened up new approaches to it. The conference examines how these approaches are shaped by visible and invisible conditions of production, distribution and reception, and how they are changing in the wake of social and technological transformations. It will take place in a hybrid format; selected objects will be presented on site.

The conference is organised by the Research Association Artists’ Publications in collaboration with the Centre for Artists’ Publications at the Weserburg, the Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen, the University of the Arts Bremen, the University of Siegen and the research group “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change” (University of Münster).

The Research Association Artists’ Publications is funded by the University of Bremen, University of Arts, Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen, Weserburg Museum für moderne Kunst with the Centre for Artists’ Publications.