Artist’s Book – FLASHBACK. The Phantom Image by Marco Grassi PHO

On the occasion of the exhibition FLASHBACK. The Phantom Image by Marco Grassi PHO, SpazioC21 produced an artist’s book of the same title. The standard edition, printed in a run of 90 numbered copies, was published in April 2021 by Tecnograf in Reggio Emilia. The work is in quarto format (28.5 × 22.4 cm), 64 pages, printed in offset on 170 g and 250 g Freelife paper, with thread-sewn binding in red half-cloth and 2 mm black Sumo cardboard covers with silkscreen print; the book includes a photographic print on acetate (10 × 15 cm), 7 assorted stickers, 4 of which are loose, 2 fold-out inserts printed on red paper (22.5 × 33 cm), 4 photographic reproductions of works created by Marco Grassi Pho for the exhibition project (19 × 15.5 cm), and an original rayograph (24.9 × 19.8 cm), signed by the artist. This artist’s book was commissioned by SpazioC21 in 2018 for the Fotografia Europea 2020 festival, but its release was postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The volume includes a selection of photographs taken in 2014 by Donata Clovis (1976–2016) to document the photographic research project of the Milanese collective Le grand verre, led by Marco Grassi Pho and Matteo Bologna (1977–2015).
The book was developed in collaboration with Giacomo Spazio (Sstars Lab), who conceived and designed it, Simone Pallotta, who authored the texts, Giuseppe Iotti (Lo Studio), who oversaw the printing process; and Fabrizio Cicconi, who photographed the artworks by Marco Grassi Pho.
. The exhibition Flashback. The Phantom Image, for which this volume was produced, took place at Palazzo Brami, Via Emilia San Pietro 21, Reggio Emilia, from May 21 to July 4, 2021