Future Book(s) – Pia Pol / Astrid Vorstermans

The release of Future Book(s) marks the significant twentieth anniversary of Valiz, the esteemed Amsterdam-based publisher founded by Vorstermans in June 2003. It pays homage to Valiz’s prolific output over two decades, reflecting the publisher’s steadfast commitment to pushing boundaries and amplifying voices from the margins.

What lies ahead for the future of the book, particularly in the realms of art, design, architecture, and cultural critique? Valiz invited a diverse array of individuals to offer their insights. Journalists, artists, architects, curators, translators, designers, philosophers, sociologists, educators, book scholars, publishers, historians, critics, policymakers, students, and many more eagerly contributed their perspectives, projecting their visions into the future.
The resulting work, encapsulates a tapestry of ideas – at times utopian, whimsically imaginative, and at others, firmly grounded in reality. Through both text and imagery, the publication captivates anyone with a passion for books or involvement in cultural discourse. Each section of the book, meticulously designed by a diverse cohort of young designers, celebrates the breadth and depth of its thematic exploration.

“Future Book(s)” embraces diversity in both content and presentation. Its chapters, delineated by themes like Attention, Collaboration, Craft, and Sustainability, offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives. While each thematic chapter bears the imprint of a single graphic designer, the contributions within are treated as singular entities, resulting in a dynamic and unpredictable reading experience.

The editors of “Future Book(s)” acknowledge the fluidity of its structure, allowing for non-linear exploration. From the introspective musings of “Looking Outward” by Francien van Westrenen to the provocative insights of “The Future Will Be a Bookverse Instead of a Metaverse” by Guy Cools, the anthology invites readers to navigate its pages freely, engaging with essays on the touch, smell, and sight of books, the politics of bookmaking, and reflections on wartime book publishing.
As readers delve into its pages, they embark on a journey of discovery, where the boundaries of possibility are continually expanded, and the future of the book remains an ever-evolving narrative.

Here are the Formidable Mag favorite entries, conveniently presented in order of appearance so you can jump right into it.
• The intro. Now of the Future. Astrid Vorstermans & Pia Pol
• Looking Outward by Francien van Westrenen.
• Dear Mushroom by Yasmine Ostendorf-Rodriguez.
• The Touch, Smell, and Sight of Books by Ernst van Alphen.
• Creating Coherence by Mike Bal.
• Inextricable Books by Esther de Vries.
• Art Book or Artificial Book by Michiel Nijhoff.
• Embedding Time by Pascal Gielen.
• Bookness in the Arts by Geert Lovink.
• Taking Place by Max Bruinsma.
• The Future Will Be a Bookverse Instead of a Metaverse by Guy Cools.
• Books Like Smoke by Marius Schwarz.
• A Future of Hybrid Experiences by Helen Westgeest.
• Notes on Dematerializing and Re-materializing by Brad Haylock.
• Present Future, Future Futures by Brad Haylock.
• The Politics of Bookmaking by Joost Grooyens.
• Wartime Book Publishing: Notes from Ukraine by Kateryna Nosko & Anastasia Leonova.

Future Book(S) is available at Valiz online store >>