Biblioteka, a public reference library of rare books, zines and periodicals relating to art and architecture, is now in residence at the Architectural Association (AA) in London. The library was established in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2016 by Hlib Velyhorskyi and moved to Peckham, London in 2020. Its recent arrival at the AA’s premises at 1 Montague Street, Bloomsbury offers students and the public renewed opportunities to engage with its collection of printed matter, and encourages visitors to participate in an ongoing programme of events that play with the notion of what a library can be.
Biblioteka functions as a platform through which to experiment with new forms of knowledge production, collaboration and curation. The project began as a personal collection of art and photography publications that Velyhorskyi and Anastasiia Soroka put together, but it soon expanded to include artists’ books and other unorthodox editions in response to a resurgence in tactile and experimental creative publishing over the past decade that he was keen to explore. As the collection grew, so did Velyhorskyi’s interest in the social and cultural opportunities that a library could create. Biblioteka hosts regular screenings, readings, exhibitions, workshops, music events and book fairs, as well as informal social gatherings that encourage visitors to engage with the collection and with one another.
The collection was first housed at Viktor Maruschenko School of Photography in Kyiv before moving to Plivka music and arts centre in a former film development factory, after which it took up a brief residence in a nightclub. In 2020, the London-based project space and gallery Arcadia Missa offered to house the collection in their Peckham premises alongside a series of artists’ studios, prompting Biblioteka’s move from Ukraine to the UK. Since then, the collection has expanded to include the entire Photobookshow UK archive, a generous contribution from Swiss Embassy in the UK and numerous donations from publishers including Folium, Mörel, Loose Joints, RVB Books, Theatrum Mundi and many others. In 2022, Biblioteka curated a music event at the ICA London, where visitors were invited to contribute a book of their choice to the collection
The Biblioteka collection now encompasses more than 8,000 artists’ books, rare editions, historic and out-of-print publications, zines and art and architecture periodicals. As the community surrounding the library has developed, its network of contributors has grown to include publishers, academic institutions, galleries and individuals. The majority of the collection has been donated, and its creators joke that they have become “London’s number one art book removal service” in their pursuit of acquisitions. The collection is organised by affinity, instinct, accident and a personal understanding of the material. It is housed on bespoke bookshelves that Velyhorskyi designed and built in the AA’s workshop.
Biblioteka’s residence at the AA began in 2023. It now places the library in close proximity to the AA’s buildings on Bedford Square and to many newly established galleries, independent project spaces and collections that continue the rich history of creative production in Bloomsbury. Velyhorskyi previously worked in the AA Archives before studying in the Intermediate Programme at the school, and he completed an MA in History and Critical Thinking at the AA in 2023, for which his thesis focused on library practice. He works on Biblioteka in collaboration with artists Jazbo Gross, Oliver Griffin and Valentin Rajenkov.
In the coming months, Biblioteka will host a developing programme of readings, installations and events that emphasise the importance of a library as a physical space. The project has worked with artists, writers, designers and curators including Georgina Hill, Eleni Papazoglou, Coumba Samba, Leïla Arenou and Naïmé Perrette. Recent events have included the first in a series of Closed Circuit Systems happenings by Krystle Patel and Jelena Viskovic, featuring a sound sculpture installation accompanied by a reading by Federico Campagna.
Biblioteka is open to the public by appointment at the Architectural Association, 1 Montague Street, London WC1B 5BP. For appointments and other inquiries, email contact@biblioteka.website. To contact the AA, email communications@aaschool.ac.uk.
