Contemporary book artists
A self-designed catalogue raisonné.
Limited edition of 300 copies.

This box-type catalogue raisonné is a complete record of Veronica Shepas's book art works. The idea was launched in 2021, but due to the impact of the pandemic, it was not completed until the fall of 2022. This box was also self-designed and bound, and although it is a limited edition with only 30 copies in the world, it is a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into her world of bookbinding, with most of her original works housed in museums and galleries.

Veronica Shepas, who we believe to be the most comprehensively skilled in the world of book art, has bookbinding skills backed by solid technique, and a sense for using any text as a clue to imbue the physical book with lyricism. She is a rare book artist.
This book is a box set that offers an overview of Veronica's various book art projects, from her earliest works created during her several years living in Japan to "OKONOMIYAKI" (a book on the theme of okonomiyaki), which she realised after reaching out to Yoko Tawada, who lives in Germany, over the course of several years.

These archival boxes are acid-free storage boxes that were originally developed for the long-term preservation of valuable documents and artworks such as books, ancient documents, and prints. Veronica herself normally uses archival boxes to store her own works, which is why she decided to create an acid-free box catalogue. They are light, durable, practical, and beautiful. This storage method is very Veronica-like. The box is also apparently designed to hold all past catalogues and publications. The box manufacturer is a German company.Klug Conservationand is a major supplier to libraries and museums.

Opening the box, the dazzling world of Veronica begins. It also contains documents of the works she created immediately after graduating from university. Every time you turn the page, you will see a collection of works created with completely different approaches. The high level of perfection of each work is remarkable. Both the high level of skill as a book maker and the worldview of an artist are overflowing in the details of the book. Not only is the content rich, but the joy is also conveyed by the skin of your hands as you turn the pages.

Her original works were originally produced in limited quantities of only a few dozen, and almost all of them are in the appropriate collections, so it is almost impossible to purchase them again. Therefore, this archive box is a rare opportunity to see her world of work. Every box has a serial number and Veronica's autograph.

Text by Ema Otobe

Archive Box Contents:
The box is available in two versions.
Version A includes #2-5, and Version B includes #1-5.

#1
Catalogue of the "Entgrenzt" exhibition held at the Klingspohl Museum in Offenbach, Germany. In addition to numerous photographs and detailed explanations of all works from 1998 onwards, the catalogue features essays by Dr. Stefan Soltek, Martina Weiss (Klingspohl Museum in Offenbach), Dr. Viola Hildebrand Schatt (Frankfurt/M), Marshall Weber (Brooklyn), Nina Schneider (Los Angeles), and Akiko Takiguchi (Tokyo).
Designed by Alex Sonderegger, Susanna Baer, so+ba (Tokyo/Zurich)
Binding: Buchbinder Mergemeier, Düsseldorf (12 6-page accordion folds, 9 8-page accordion folds)
Cover printing: Swiss Harmony Presspan
Body paper: offset printing on Munken Links 120g paper
External dimensions: 8.85 x 11.7 inches
Issue number: Limited to 300 copies
Place of production: Berlin, Offenbach
Production year 2014

Veronica explains:
It was published for a large exhibition held at the Klingspohl Museum in Offenbach in 2014. It was an exhibition where all my past works were displayed, and all of them are included in the catalog (all of my university works are not included). The catalog was partly funded by the museum, but most of the production costs were self-funded. Therefore, many friends were involved, but the biggest support came from Susanna Baer and Alex Sonderegger of so+ba design. I often helped them with the binding, and they gave me advice on typography. They were also involved in the graphic design of other parts of the catalog, and we use the same font and some graphic elements. The idea for the box came to me when I was thinking about a new catalog for 2021. Since 2014, I have released nine new works, and customers have asked for a new catalog. I didn't want to reprint many books, so it was clear to me that I would make it like a second catalog. I also wanted the second issue to have a similar structure to the first issue, and in the end I gave it a structure with a fold on the inside of the main text. Materials are a very important element in my work, and ultimately I wanted to create a box rather than a slipcase, one that could hold books and pamphlets of different sizes and materials, like a box assemblage.

#2
Seven artists' books are detailed in German and English, with numerous illustrations.
Designed by Alex Sonderegger, Susanna Baer, so+ba (Tokyo/Zurich)
Binding: Buchbinderei Mergemeier, Düsseldorf (76 pages, Japanese binding, 7 fold-in pages. Flexible linen binding with white background and navy blue spine and embossed title)
Body paper: offset printing on Munken Crystal 90g paper
Size: 8.85 x 11.7 in
Issue number: Limited to 300 copies
Place of production: Karlsruhe
Production year 2022

Veronica explains:
For #2, I had a bookbinding company in Dusseldorf make a sample of my design, offset print it, and bind it. #1 was also bound by the same company.

#3
A text booklet containing essays "From a Distance, Close Up" by Ruth Rogers (Wellesley College, MA) and "The Utility of Interpretation" by Marshall Weber (Booklyn, Brooklyn, NY). Both texts are in English only. In addition, the booklet contains a current collection index and a list of exhibitions since 2014.
Body paper IBO Reflex 60g Digital Print
Cover paper: EnDuro Ice transparent cover
Cover processing: Embossed title
Bookbinding process Hand-sewn with filament
Number of pages: 48 pages
Size: 4.52 x 8.7 in
Issue number: Limited to 300 copies
Place of production: Karlsruhe
Production year 2022

Veronica explains:
#3 is a small text booklet and an updated resume. I printed it separately from catalog #2 so that I can print more text booklets of the same size in the near future, and to easily update the resume if necessary. This booklet was digitally printed and bound by me. For the cover, I used SIHL Enduro Ice paper foil, which I have used in some of my previous works, and the stitching was done with a very fine filament, which I often use. I think that including these materials in the catalog will give the artist book a more realistic feel.

#4
Pyongyang in May 2004 // Pyongyang in September 2019
The cover of the Risograph with a photograph of the mural. Inside are six postcards inserted with illustrations and project descriptions in English and German. The Risograph is protected by a dust jacket made of clear polyester film and contains two magnifying glass inserts.
Text printing: 4-color lithograph
Cover printing: Digital printing on 250g Ina Card paper
Size: 8.27 x 11.7 in.
Issued: Limited to 300 copies
Place of production: Karlsruhe
Production year 2022

Veronica explains:
#4 is a kind of small catalog or prospectus for my book "Pyongyang". I decided to use 4c lithograph to imagine some of the prints I saw in Pyongyang. The lithograph technique allowed me to reproduce the slightly blurred and artificial colors, which are typical of North Korean publications. The lithograph colors rub off easily, so I needed to protect the surface, so I covered it with clear archival polyester film, a material I often use for my other books. The original version has the impression of a travelogue or souvenir, so I decided to include six lithograph postcards with the original images and descriptions. All of #4 is bound and produced by me.

#5
Japanese music charts for May 25, 1968. Eight accordion pages with illustrations and explanations in English and German. The accordion is housed in a corbon cover reminiscent of a record sleeve, with an orange and matte grey circular cut.
Text paper: Munken Lynx 150g, digitally printed
Cover Corvon Shimme, Corvon Mano
Size: 7.1 x 7.1 in.
Issue number: Limited to 300 copies
Place of production: Karlsruhe
Production year 2022

Veronica explains:
#5 is about the original "The Japanese Charts of May 25, 1968" and features a text by Peter Handke. This artist book comes with a record of abstract compositions by Dirk Haubrich. #5 looks like a record at first glance, but the slipcase is made of orange and gray binding material (CORVON by Winter & Company) that has the same texture as the material of the original version. This slipcase is also handmade by me.

Some of the past worksHereYou can view it from here.

Contents of the Archive Box /
Two versions of the box are available for purchase:
Version A, which includes the publications #2-#5,
Version B, which includes the publications #1-#5.
All boxes are numbered and signed. books@veronikaschaepers.net#1
Veronika Schäpers: Bücher // Books
Catalog for the exhibition «Entgrenzt» at the Klingspor Museum Offenbach. In addition to many photos and detailed explanations of all the works since 1998, the catalog contains essays by Dr. Stefan Soltek and Martina Weiß (Klingspor Museum Offenbach), Dr. Viola Hildebrand-Schat (Frankfurt/M) as well as Marshall Weber (Brooklyn), Nina Schneider (Los Angeles) and Akiko Takiguchi (Tokyo). The design is by Alex Sonderegger and Susanna Baer, so+ba (To-kyo/Zurich) and the elaborate finishing was done by Buchbinder Mergemeier, a bookbindery in Düsseldorf. Twelve 6-page accordion folds and nine 8-page accordion folds.
Offset printing on Munken Lynx 120 g.
Cover: Swiss Harmony Presspan.
8.85 x 11.7 in.
Edition of 300 copies.
Berlin/Offenbach, 2014.

#2
Veronika Schäpers: Books // Books 2
A detailed description of seven artists' books in German and English with numerous illustrations.
The design is by Alex Sonderegger and Susanna Baer, so+- ba (Tokyo/Zurich), and the binding was made by Buchbinderei Mergemeier in Düsseldorf.
76 Japanese-bound pages and seven interior folds. Flexible linen binding in white with blue-black spine and title embossing.
Offset printed on Munken Kristall 90 g.
8.85 x 11.7 in.
Edition: 300 copies.
Karlsruhe, 2022.

#3
texts
A text booklet with essays by Ruth Rogers, Wellesley College, MA, «From a Distance, Close Up,» and Marshall Weber, Booklyn, Brooklyn, NY, «The Utility of Interpretation.» Both texts are printed in English only. In addition, the booklet includes a current collection index and a list of exhibitions since 2014.
Digital print on IBO Reflex, 60 g.
Transparent cover made of EnDuro Ice with embossed title, stitched by hand with filament.
48 pages.
4.52 x 8.7 in.
Edition: 300 copies. Karlsruhe, 2022.

#4
Pyongyang in May 2004 // Pyongyang in September 2019
A risographed cover with a photograph of a mural. Inside are six inserted postcards with illustrations and descriptions of the project in English and German.
The risograph is protected by a dust jacket made of clear polyester film with two inserted magnifying glasses.
4-color lithography.
Digital print on inacard, 250 g.
8.27 x 11.7 in.
Edition: 300 copies.
Karlsruhe, 2022.

#5
The Japanese Charts of May 25, 1968.
An 8-page accordion fold with illustrations and descriptions of the project in English and German.
The accordion fold is housed in a Corvon cover with circle cutouts in orange and matte gray, reminiscent of a record cover.
Digital printing on Munken Lynx 150 g.
Cover: Corvon Shimmer and Corvon Mano.
7.1 x 7.1 in.
Edition: 300 copies.
Karlsruhe, 2022.