A “flipbook” is a small book that when flicked through quickly, the pages become moving images, like frames in a film. They are the subject of a unique exhibition conceived by Christoph Schulz and Daniel Gethmann that reveals their history for the first time. From their introduction in 1868, when they were patented by British printer John Barnes Linnett, the “pocket cinema” has passed through various phases that alternate between revival and oblivion.

On show are examples from the past and present, experimental designs and books by artists. Totalling over 170, they are mostly by artists or film directors who have all tried their hand at using this bizarre tool. They include John Baldessari, Tacita Dean, Elliott Erwitt, Gilbert & George, Keith Haring, William Kentridge, Bruce Nauman, Tony Oursler, Dieter Roth and Andy Warhol. It goes without saying that most of the books on show can be touched and flicked through by the public. E.S.

Düsseldorf, Germany
The Flipbook Show
7.5.2005 – 17.7.2005
Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Grabbeplatz 4
https://www.kunsthalle-duesseldorf.de