Quasi-Library is a temporary reading space and a pop-up exhibition of books and other printed material in continuity with the exhibition Quasi: Experimental Writing Systems (currently on display at the HMCT Gallery). Curated by Alex Balgiu (Designing Writing) and the ArtCenter Library, the collection features rare and special materials centered around the themes of invented and fictional scripts, asemic writing, and the speculative possibilities of writing and language beyond mere functionality.

Quasi-Library will be open to the public for one special evening featuring a show-and-tell of the exhibited books followed by a talk on collecting published works.

Show-and-Tell
6:30–7:30 p.m.
An immersive and tactile happening where attendees will have the opportunity to interact directly with the diverse array of books and printed materials on display. Guest librarian Alex Balgiu (Designing Writing), alongside Rachel Julius and Bob Dirig (ArtCenter Library), will be present to guide attendees through this organic experience in the Quasi-Library space.

Talk by Alex Balgiu (Designing Writing)
7:45–8:15 p.m.
Explore the art of collecting, editing, and curating written materials during a talk with Alex Balgiu, the founder of Designing Writing. This circulating library, initiated in 2016, showcases a unique convergence of art, design, poetry, publishing, and performance. Alex will share his journey and insights into building a collection that “similarly to the growth rings of a tree, expands circularly towards questions of book collecting, graphic notation, and the materialization of language.”

Organized by HMCT in partnership with The Book Club of California, and ArtCenter Graphic Design.
Free and open to the public.