The ideal associate is a book.
Of course a book is not the only ally wanted in this world — but arguably the best. Portable. Stackable. Focused. Infinitely reliable and wholly self sufficient. What else in this world speaks as much and keeps as quiet. A book is more patient than any friend. More ready with “mystic truths” than any artist. No living high-priest or scholar fits into an architectural niche like a book. No witch knows as many spells as a book. Books are even above influence and bribery. Suffice it to say, a book is a ridiculously good tool in this muck of a world — and risking redundancy — an ideal companion.
Please note:
Of course a book is not the only ally wanted in this world — but arguably the best. Portable. Stackable. Focused. Infinitely reliable and wholly self sufficient. What else in this world speaks as much and keeps as quiet. A book is more patient than any friend. More ready with “mystic truths” than any artist. No living high-priest or scholar fits into an architectural niche like a book. No witch knows as many spells as a book. Books are even above influence and bribery. Suffice it to say, a book is a ridiculously good tool in this muck of a world — and risking redundancy — an ideal companion.
Please note:
- Keep books away from open flame or sparks.
-
Books are prone to mold and mildew under damp conditions.
- Isolate from caustic substances such as acids and bases.
Kampala based PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING is a publishing house specialising in high quality books, monographs and artist catalogues by selected artists from countries outside of the traditional sphere of Western arts. It focuses on contemporary culture and pursues a goal of building communicative bridges between different cultures and artistic traditions. One of the publisher’s central themes is to address the Eurocentric and Western dominance in defining the criteria of which contemporary art is considered relevant. We encourages publications that contribute new ideas and perspectives in contemporary culture and artistic expression, and provides a forum for the documentation of art history and artistic narratives from places of the world that are often ignored or marginalised by Western art institutions and art experts who nevertheless claim to present an international programme. The aim of this publishing platform is to reflect the full diversity of global artistic practice.
Next to my focus on non-Western positions in contemporary arts, PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING champions artistic autonomy over editorial sovereignty in order to provide authentic encounters with the presented practices. All contributing artists are invited to independently choose and create their content for PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING without editorial supervision or intervention. This intentional restraint on behalf of the editorial team ensures that no intermediary stands between the artist and the reader. Expert comment and third party evaluation only take place if the artists choose to include such texts with their respective contributions.
The weight given to the artists’ authorship on the pages of PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING is also expressed by the fact that the cover of any PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING publication does not depict any specific artworks and does not highlight any single artist, but instead lists all contributing artists to the respective publication as equally significant.
To further strengthen regional views and perspectives, PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING has developed its own concept of peer review, by inviting contributors of previous issues to recommend notable artists from their regions. Being able to tap into the knowledge and expertise of such a diverse artistic community puts any publication in a unique position as a platform for non-Western contemporary arts
The motto ‘Global Perspectives on Visual Vocabulary’ epitomizes the intention to present a visual arts exhibition in the framework of an art journal, letting the visual flow rather than editorial criteria determine the sequence of the artists’ contributions and layout — undisturbed and uninterrupted by commercial ads or sponsored content. PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING transforms the assembled submissions of a diverse group of contemporary visual artists into an “exhibition in a book”, a visual journey on which each reader embarks by opening the pages of the journal, and a journey that encompasses a wide variety of artistic materials, forms and themes, broadening our horizons beyond the well-trodden paths of Western contemporary art and promoting a new transparency for true internationality in the arts.
When nowadays the claim is made that the distinction between Western and non-Western art is outdated, then this is also the consequence of a new reality where the central position of the Western art world has been replaced by a grid of regional art centres located around the globe, each contributing to a new multipolar art world. PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING has documented this development that has deconstructed the old division between the West and the non-West and formed a postmodern space of epistemological diversity, a modern contemporary art scene that is largely transnational and in which a new breed of cosmopolitan world artists draws from the profound knowledge of their cultural heritage and creates artworks in order to understand, and, obviously, to deconstruct the realities, ideologies and apparent rationales for a wide variety of social, cultural and political settings.
Next to my focus on non-Western positions in contemporary arts, PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING champions artistic autonomy over editorial sovereignty in order to provide authentic encounters with the presented practices. All contributing artists are invited to independently choose and create their content for PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING without editorial supervision or intervention. This intentional restraint on behalf of the editorial team ensures that no intermediary stands between the artist and the reader. Expert comment and third party evaluation only take place if the artists choose to include such texts with their respective contributions.
The weight given to the artists’ authorship on the pages of PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING is also expressed by the fact that the cover of any PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING publication does not depict any specific artworks and does not highlight any single artist, but instead lists all contributing artists to the respective publication as equally significant.
To further strengthen regional views and perspectives, PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING has developed its own concept of peer review, by inviting contributors of previous issues to recommend notable artists from their regions. Being able to tap into the knowledge and expertise of such a diverse artistic community puts any publication in a unique position as a platform for non-Western contemporary arts
The motto ‘Global Perspectives on Visual Vocabulary’ epitomizes the intention to present a visual arts exhibition in the framework of an art journal, letting the visual flow rather than editorial criteria determine the sequence of the artists’ contributions and layout — undisturbed and uninterrupted by commercial ads or sponsored content. PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING transforms the assembled submissions of a diverse group of contemporary visual artists into an “exhibition in a book”, a visual journey on which each reader embarks by opening the pages of the journal, and a journey that encompasses a wide variety of artistic materials, forms and themes, broadening our horizons beyond the well-trodden paths of Western contemporary art and promoting a new transparency for true internationality in the arts.
When nowadays the claim is made that the distinction between Western and non-Western art is outdated, then this is also the consequence of a new reality where the central position of the Western art world has been replaced by a grid of regional art centres located around the globe, each contributing to a new multipolar art world. PLEASUREALM PUBLISHING has documented this development that has deconstructed the old division between the West and the non-West and formed a postmodern space of epistemological diversity, a modern contemporary art scene that is largely transnational and in which a new breed of cosmopolitan world artists draws from the profound knowledge of their cultural heritage and creates artworks in order to understand, and, obviously, to deconstruct the realities, ideologies and apparent rationales for a wide variety of social, cultural and political settings.