Micro-publishing has taken Charleroi by storm!

A great success for Papier Carbone

This event could never have come into being without the formidable work and commitment of the members of the non-profit organ­i­sa­tion Copie Carbone and their partners, whose energy and expertise transformed the spaces of the Hainaut Province’s art museum into a veritable hive devoted to print in an extra­or­di­nary variety of forms.

The museum team also accom­plished a huge amount in record time to make the event happen. Supporting and hosting Papier Carbone went far beyond simply lending out spaces. By opening our doors to alternative cultures, micro-publishing and independent printing arts, we were reaffirming our DNA as a lively, daring venue connected to the realities of its time. In keeping with our ambition to make culture accessible to as many people as possible, Papier Carbone helps us demystify the museum by proving that a recognised con­tem­po­rary art centre can be both a place of scholarly rigour and a space for popular celebration, coun­ter­cul­ture and freedom of expression. 

Now based on the Cam­pusUCharleroi site, the museum is par­tic­u­lar­ly attuned to issues of training and education. Every year, it welcomes large numbers of interns, supports them in their projects and organises an engagement programme specif­i­cal­ly for them. As part of Papier Carbone, we were delighted to take on the role of a laboratory for archi­tec­ture students from UMONS (University of Mons), who created all of the festival’s internal signage in situ. Designed entirely using reclaimed cardboard, this full-scale project enabled the future architects to combine logistical constraints with an upcycling approach. By trans­form­ing reused materials into functional and attractive structures, they enhanced the museum halls while limiting the event’s envi­ron­men­tal footprint. We con­grat­u­late and thank them.

Throughout the weekend, around fifteen art schools and academies took over spaces to present and discuss their work.

Their students were able to enrich their pro­fes­sion­al practice by attending a series of specialist talks offering concrete feedback based in experience.

Once again, the ​"printed matter fair" stood out for its great creative diversity, bringing together more than 65 artists and publishers from Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Mexico. 

Visitors were able to explore a very wide range of practices and discover pop-up exhibitions featuring the work of Sophie Cure and her Bureau des Affaires Lexicales, con­tri­bu­tions from Fotokino, and the German collective RFI. The Quebec artist Karine Locatelli was also present at the heart of the pre­sen­ta­tion of her residency, where she had the opportunity to meet a very large audience.

One of the festival’s greatest achieve­ments was undoubtedly its ability to create connections by drawing a different audience to BPS22 – one not necessarily already engaged with con­tem­po­rary art – that was inter­gen­er­a­tional and curious. Visitors played an active part in the festivities through par­tic­i­pa­to­ry activities such as micro-publishing workshops and intro­duc­tion to Tetra Pak printing. Artist and sound per­for­mances also punctuated the weekend.

With more than 65 inter­na­tion­al exhibitors and around fifteen art schools involved, this hugely popular edition confirms the reach of the Papier Carbone Festival and of BPS22 far beyond the borders of Charleroi!