Donation of 101 Books to Myanmar Art Resource Center and Archive - MARCA by Charta Books (Italy)
Today, Yangon is richer in cultural resources thanks to the generous donation of 101 books (made in Italy) from Giuseppe Liverani's Charta Books/Edizioni Charta to the Myanmar Art Resource Center and Archive - MARCA.
The donation was made possible thank to the curatoship and organisation offered by Luigi Galimberti (Transnational Dialogues) and Ilaria Benini (Flux Kit), with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Yangon.
The receiver of this generous donation is the Myanmar Art Resource Center and Archive - MARCA, a new art educational institution supporting reference collections of books and records in cities all over Myanmar.
MARCA was founded in 2013 by two Myanmar artists, Khin Zaw Latt and Zoncy, together with Nathalie Johnston, a researcher in Myanmar contemporary art. MARCA develops art history classes, workshops in archiving, photography, and screenwriting in collaboration with its wide network of at least thirty local cultural actors. Charta Books will enhance MARCA’s numerous future activities for many years.
In a country such as Myanmar, where knowledge from abroad was prohibited for decades and a restrictive censorship affected publishing and art practice, the arrival of 101 Charta Books mean an important addition of resources for young artists and curators of contemporary art, as well as for intellectuals and participants in the cultural scene.
Giuseppe Liverani's donation carries with it the centuries old Italian tradition of respect and love for the arts. This donation is indeed part of the "Library 101" project, which involved institutions such as the Library of Congress in Washington and other major institutions all over the world, before reaching MARCA in Yangon.
The donation was celebrated on 5 October 2014 at the historic Lokanat Gallery in Yangon, on the occasion of Contemporary Dialogues Yangon, a festival of culture and arts, organised by Flux Kit. A book show saw the participation of a diverse audience of artists, writers, directors, poets, and actors, all in the presence of MARCA's representatives and Chiara Mauri, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Yangon.
