CHAMPASSAK, Tiane Doan na. Burning Matter.

(Venice, Italy): Siam’s Guy Books, 2022.  First edition.  Folded poster bound into card covers.  In 1968, Bruce Nauman ripped out and set fire to Ed Ruscha’s iconic artist book “Various Small Fires and Milk”. Nauman photographed his pyrotechnic homage to form a new book – a publication in the form of a bound poster – titled “Burning Small Fires”, a piece of art in itself. Inspired by this performative activation of the conceptual art, Tiane Doan na Champassak chooses to incinerate Daisuke Yokota’s “Matter / Burn Out”, adding a new layer of interpretation to an editorial project that was already performative per se. Champassak’s reenactment is a conceptual conundrum and a “mise en abyme” made visible through this poster-format publication.  Published on the occasion of the exhibition Burning Matter (Giudecca, Venice, Italy) organized in concomitance with the 2022 Venice Biennale.  Massive poster folded down to 32 by 25cm and bound into printed card covers.  Published in an edition of 275 copies.  Cool publication.