Forbidden Pages
Letterpress & Relief Prints on Book Censorship
Forbidden Pages… In Flight is a printmaking-based art and social engagement project confronting the rise of book censorship in Florida public schools. Featuring letterpress and relief prints, zines, installations, and interactive game the project reclaims banned stories as acts of resistance and celebration.
Forbidden Pages Board Game. Step into the roles of librarians, activists, or students in Forbidden Pages, a dynamic board game designed by the artist as part of the FORBIDDEN PAGES…IN FLIGHT exhibition.
Perfect for 4 players, this exciting game invites you to navigate a series of challenges—sneak banned books back onto library shelves while avoiding censorship cards, evading surveillance, and leveraging strategic boost spaces.
The clock is ticking, and the race is on—who will be the first to restore access to the Books and champion the fight for knowledge.
This exhibition was presented in partnership with Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator (DVCAI) and is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Forbidden Pages: Art, Activism & Banned Books
December 4, 2023, to February 18, 2024
@ Walgreens on 74th St. and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach
Forbidden Pages is an art and social engagement project featuring letterpress prints, zines, books, Join the Conversation bilingual QR Code/Survey, and site-specific wallpaper murals centered on over 2,500 banned children’s books, including "The Bluest Eye," "Before She Was Harriet," "Festival of Colors," and "Neither,". The ephemeral and temporary artist activations are scheduled to engage the public over the period of six weeks and bring these silenced stories to life.
The works on paper utilize colorful abstract designs rooted in International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs), texts, and corresponding barcodes as visual clues. The installation and activations aim to spark curiosity and foster critical thinking among the public by carving out space for spontaneity, vulnerability and curiosity. Seamlessly combining art and critical dialogue, Forbidden Pages encourages reflection on the increasing limitations and decreasing accessibility to literature within Florida’s public schools.
This exhibition was made possible by Oolite Arts.
Celebrate the freedom of expression and challenge the boundaries imposed on the written word!
Panel and conversation with Hedieh Sepehri from Families Against Book Banning, Laura Guerrero program Coordinator for Oolite Arts and artist Rosa Naday Garmendia about art, activism and banned books. Blind Date with a Banned Book giveaway during program. Books curtesy of Books and Books Literary Foundation.
