Edmund de Waal: library of exile

A new book about the Library of Exile displays at the British Museum explores the themes of the artwork and its connection to the Museum's collection. The library contains 2,000 books written by authors in exile, and the exterior walls are inscribed with the names of libraries from history. Visitors are invited to contemplate and respond to the books by writing notes on the ex libris bookplate inserted into each edition. The library was first shown as part of the Venice Biennale in 2019 and will form part of the New University Library in Mosul.

Format: Hardback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 10 September 2020
Publisher: British Museum Press

Published to commemorate the display of the Library of Exile at the British Museum, this exquisite new book delves into the profound themes explored in de Waal's thought-provoking artwork. The introduction by Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, situates the artwork within the broader context of the Museum's collection, emphasizing the interplay collection's dialogue between objects from across time and throughout history and the contemporary.

Finally, de Waal focuses on the work itself, its journey to the British Museum via Venice and Dresden, and its future role in the foundation of the New University Library in Mosul.

The library houses 2,000 books written by authors in exile in numerous languages from antiquity to the present day. The exterior walls, washed with porcelain over sheets of gold, are inscribed with the names of libraries from history—from Nineveh and Alexandria to those lost more recently, including Timbuktu, Aleppo, and Mosul. Displayed within the structure are four vitrines of porcelain vessels inspired by Daniel Bomberg's Renaissance printing of the Jewish scripture, the Talmud. Visitors are invited to contemplate and respond to the books by writing notes on the ex libris bookplate inserted into each edition.

First shown as part of the Venice Biennale in 2019, the library traveled to Dresden before its installation at the British Museum in London in 2020. From here, the library will form part of the New University Library in Mosul.

Weight: 380g
Dimension: 171 x 230 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780714123479