M.A.L.A. hosts workshops at the 2026 Pacaembu Book Fair
M.A.L.A. has been a partner of the Pacaembu Book Fair since its very first edition in 2022. This year is no exception! We will be there offering dos-à-dos on the 5th and 6th, from 3pm to 4pm.
In a city accustomed to leisure taking place in private spaces, the Book Fair brings free public discussions to the square on topics such as literature, society, science, human rights, culture, and history — in addition to completely free workshops.
In this M.A.L.A. workshop, participants will work with dos-à-dos binding using a flexible cover, beginning with graphic experiments on the cover through the pochoir technique. We will then move on to folding and pamphlet stitching, resulting in a structure that offers a unique handling experience and a panoramic view of the book.
The dos-à-dos binding structure is characterized by the union of two book blocks or two “cores” within a single volume, sharing the same cover while opening in opposite directions. Historically, this technique dates back to medieval and Renaissance bindings, used to bind complementary or distinct texts within the same object, such as liturgical books or scientific treatises. Beyond its practical functionality, the dos-à-dos carries strong visual and conceptual symbolism, evoking dualities, dialogues, and contrasts between contents, making it an expressive resource also explored by contemporary artists and designers.
The workshop is aimed at both young people and adults, especially book lovers, bookbinding enthusiasts, paper art lovers, and anyone interested in exploring new forms of creative expression. Recommended age: 12 and up.
Pacaembu Book Fair
Praça Charles Miller, São Paulo
From May 30 to June 7, 2026
Free admission
Applications for M.A.L.A. 2027!
In July, M.A.L.A. will launch the open call for its 2027 annual residency program! The M.A.L.A. residency encourages exchange and fosters dialogue around themes connected to libraries, books, reading, and contemporary artistic production.
Its main goal is to encourage participants to create an artists’ book that translates their unique poetic language. Each year, one or more international exhibitions are held, presenting the books produced during the residency. During their stay in the host city abroad, residents also have the opportunity to take part in guided visits to libraries and special collections as part of M.A.L.A.’s activities.
In the first edition, in 2024, we organized an exhibition in Mexico City at Centro Cultural El Rule during the Zócalo International Book Fair (FIL), as well as another exhibition in São Paulo at Galeria Página. In 2025, M.A.L.A. expanded, presenting two exhibitions in Paris: at Fonds Enseigne des Oudin and at Médiathèque Marguerite Duras, in addition to exhibitions in Brazil at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade (São Paulo) and at BORA (Fausto Castilho Rare Books Library at Unicamp), as well as participating in the Pacaembu Book Fair. For 2026, the chosen city was Buenos Aires, with an exhibition at Galeria Amorada, alongside exhibitions at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade and BORA.
Gumprint Workshop
Gumprint is a planographic printing technique related to lithography, based on the interaction between areas that receive water and areas that retain grease. From this principle, the image is constructed on a flat surface, without relying on cuts, reliefs, or incisions in the matrix. The process allows for the exploration of different forms of visual creation, combining drawing, photography, printed images, and digital resources. Initially, it can be developed through single-color images, later progressing into color compositions. In this way, Gumprint presents itself as a graphic procedure that brings the tradition of printmaking closer to contemporary ways of producing, manipulating, and reproducing images.
