CODEX 2019

The 7th Biennial Book Fair took place February 3-6, 2019 at the always-amazing Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, California. This was our most epic Fair yet; over 220 tables with 450 artists and vendors represented 30 countries from all over the world. On-site reports had almost every exhibitor saying that they had never had a better fair. CODEX Nordica was there representing Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, as well as 80 artists working together to create Bibliotek Nordica, a collaborative book art project. A short article in the San Francisco Chronicle helped give us one of our busiest opening days ever with over 1,000 people; there were over 5,000 visitors total this time around! We had many new exhibitors this year as we continue to build our community of book artists, printers, and tool, paper, and leather vendors. 

CODEX Nordica

CODEXNordica is an exhibition concept initiated by Imi Maufe, after her attendance at CODEX book fair and seminar, USA 2017.

After the success of the Chinese focus at Codex 2017 a large selection of books from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden will be shown at Codex 2019. With an invitation from the Codex Foundation to participate at the book fair and seminar in 2019, Codex Polaris, a group promoting book arts in Norway and the Nordic Countries of Europe, are now in the process of organizing Codex Nordica for the coming event.

Codex Polaris are working with partners from the Nordic Countries to curate a selection the best of Nordic artists’ books / book arts to bring to the audience in USA which will be shown on a collection of tables, alongside a collective project called Bibliotek Nordica, which includes book works made specially from roughly 80 Nordic artists, printmakers, and writers.

The partners curating the tables are: Åse Eg Jørgensen / Pist Protta, Denmark; Tatjana Bergelt, Finland; Arkir ArtBook Group, Iceland; Codex Polaris, Norway; Carina Fihn and Lina Nordenström, Sweden.

One Keynote (Thomas Millroth) and two artists (Åse Eg Jørgensen and Tatjana Bergelt) speakers have been chosen from the Nordic Countries to present a selection of books and projects from this part of the world at the seminar. Extra events for the Codex Nordica program will take place at the San Francisco Center of the Book, and the Book Club of California. SFCB will be showing an earlier Codex Polaris project – the Nordic Letterpress Collaboration, with an extended Posted / Unposted exhibition.

Any questions regarding this project please contact co**********@***il.com

Codex Nordica is organized by Imi Maufe, Randi Strand and Rita Marhaug.

Bibliotek Nordica is organized by Imi Maufe, Megan Adie, and Bent Kvisgaard.