To mark the XIII Unesco 180 Creative Cities Conference, Bologna Children’s Book Fair in partnership with the Unesco Creative Cities of Bologna and Fabriano, is delighted to present one of its key features: the Illustrators Exhibition.
A unique crossroads of cultures, styles and traditions from all over the world, the Illustrators Exhibition is a window on the world of illustration, a much-awaited annual event where well-known masters and young unknowns influence each other to the mutual benefit of both.
The inauguration will be Monday, 10 june 2019, at 5 pm, at the Paola Bolzonetti Room of the Municipal Library Romualdo Sassi. It will be open until 29 september 2019.
The 2019 Illustrators Exhibition presents 76 artists from 27 countries: Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, and Venezuela.
Some 3 thousand illustrators from more than 60 countries submitted work to Bologna Children’s Book Fair. The selection was made by a 5-person jury of internationally renowned illustration and publishing experts: Diego Bianchi (Argentina) illustrator, co-founder and Artistic Director of the publishing firm Pequeño editor, winner of the 2015 BOP - Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year; Beatrice Vincent (France), illustration expert, for more than twenty years an Editor at Albin Michel Jeunesse; Harriet van Reek (Netherlands), the Dutch illustrator, winner of many prizes and awards; Maciej Byliniak (Poland), Senior Editor with publishers Dwie Siostry, winner of the 2018 BOP – Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publisher of the Year; and Alessandro Sanna (Italy), an illustrator whose work is published all over the world.
After the presentation to the professional public at the Book Fair, the Exhibition goes on to the international stage with a two-year international tour. Venues include prestigious museums, galleries and libraries. The Exhibition is first shown in Japan, and then goes to China and Korea. The primary audience is children, either with their families or as school groups, for whom a series of hands-on laboratories are organized.
The Illustrators Annual, published by Corraini, is the Exhibition catalogue. The Annual is also published in Japan, USA, China and Korea in the respective languages. The cover of the 2019 edition is by Igor Oleynikov, the Russian illustrator winner of the prestigious 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award.