BEAU GESTE PRESSRETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION 05 - 17 03 1976

Galerie S:t Petri in Lund presents from 5–17 March 1976 a retrospective exhibition about the experimental art publishing house Beau Geste Press.

Over five years, numerous books, pamphlets, and objects have been published by this active edition based in England and Mexico.

Now that the era of Beau Geste Press seems to be drawing to a close, its founders David Mayor and Felipe Ehrenberg are looking back on an extraordinarily intense period of publication.
During the first three years, no fewer than thirty books and objects were produced, and many other works have been presented in recent years.

But what most truly defines Beau Geste Press is precisely the beautiful gesture.
The activity was more a philosophical way of life than an enterprise.
For the most part, the publishers and artists both worked and lived together, during which time the books, pamphlets, and objects were created.
The goal was to combine many different energies into a collective where intensive work was constantly taking place.
The visiting artist became an integrated part of the community, and the actual works produced were episodic.
What mattered was the process, the constant development, and — after a time — the diverging paths of the people involved.
What remains are the books.

Beau Geste Press no longer exists as a publishing house bound to a specific place.
However, the special experiences gained continue within the various individuals who participated in the diverse activities of BGP.
These artists are now scattered throughout the world but occasionally come together through publications that stem from the BGP spirit, even if made outside the original framework.
Beau Geste Press lives on as a kind of “state of mind.”

The exhibition in Lund presents books as well as photographic documents of various events surrounding Beau Geste Press.
The exhibition is open weekdays 3 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 12 p.m.–5 p.m.