BALDA

—Centre d’Arts Santa Mònica. 2022–ongoing

BALDA was created during my 2022–23 residency at SANTA MÒNICA, as part of the Edition Guild. BALDA is a proposal for a de-hierarchized bibliography that eludes its more academic associations within institutional contexts. It aims to compile a series of bibliographic references for a wide spectrum of audiences, including novels, essays, artist’s books, stories, comics, fanzines, children’s books, etc.

This list of references is collaborative, created with the contribution of different bookstores based in Barcelona, and is directly linked to Santa Mònica’s programming. We carried out three editions coinciding with the exhibitions that took place throughout our residency, collaborating with a total of twelve bookstores (and one record store).

BALDA, true to its name, is the three-meter shelf that houses a selection of the proposed books and generates a memory or trace of the exhibitions that took place at Santa Mònica. BALDA is also the title of a series of bookmarks designed as a periodical publication that form a record of all the references selected by the bookstores that have collaborated.

BALDA, finally, is a space within Santa Mònica created around this shelf, in constant transformation, a place where you can read or rest. This space was designed and generated organically by the Santa Mònica team and has become a busy and necessary spot for the arts center and the public.

Centre d’Arts Santa Mònica, Edition Guild 2022–23 (Antonis Antoniou & Marta Sesé)
Shelf production: Pense (Hangar)

Participating bookstores:

Edition 1 – Dozing on the accidental provocation
Taifa, prole., Casa Anita, Fatbottom & La Caníbal

Edition 2 – Utopia Rambles
Continuará Comics, crisi, laCapell, Nollegiu

Edition 3 – Holey
Terranova, Finestres, Sendak, Discos Paradiso