7 – 28 November 2014
Kunstverein Munich
As part of CodeX at Kunstverein Munich The Piracy Project has installed a one-month reading organising the Piracy Collection according to distribution networks.
The white market for books encompasses all legal and authorised distribution through traditional channels. The books in this selection have been produced through publishing houses, have ISBN numbers and are produced in higher quantities that allow for commercial distribution.
The grey market for books includes publications produced in an edition higher than one that circulate through specific, non-official networks. We include fanzines and artists’ books that are sold only at specialised shops in this section.
The black market for books encompasses distribution through illegal and non-authorised commercial channels. The books in this section were purchased at pirate markets and copy shops.
The books in the selection archive as distribution are examples of pirated books that are produced for archival reasons. They are out of circulation and were sent to us in order to remain accessible. We also gather here books that are one – offs, produced specifically for the Piracy Collection in response to our open call.
Print on Demand points to a new type of market. It produces books with a professional finish and ISBN number in potentially unlimited quantities that can circulate in mainstream commercial distribution channels. A book, produced through lulu.com, for example, will be a one-off until a second copy is purchased. Only then the second copy will be printed and shipped. Distribution triggers production, it defines the market dynamically. It allows books to oscillate between grey and white market zones in seamless ways.
During the Reading Room we hold a workshop series Self-publish and Disseminate, exploring Munich’s independent self-publishers, distribution networks and private archives. Download the workshop programme here.
