laure catugier

Mother of libraries, 2026

Book-object produced in collaboration with artist Wu Pei-Chen during a residency at Texture Printmaking Lab, Tainan, Taiwan in 2026. Format 21,2 x 15 cm (folded) ; 63 x 21,2 cm (unfolded), 28 pages. Edition of 10 copies + 2 AP (in production).

This book takes the form of a hybrid object, combining the yellow pages of a directory dedicated to Taiwanese architects with a collection of materials consisting of black papers of various textures. Resembling a model, it pays tribute to the pioneering postwar Taiwanese architect Wang Chiu-Hwa (1925–2021), dubbed the “Mother of Libraries” for her fight for greater social justice in architecture. The numerous libraries she designed were revolutionary for their time, as she favored an open-access layout. She was also responsible for the first examples of green architecture in Taiwan.