During our time in Paris, the M.A.L.A. artists had the rare opportunity to come into direct contact with fundamental works of the artist's book in some of the most important French libraries.

Our first stop was at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), François-Mitterrand site. Guided by the chief curator of the rare books department, we experienced an extraordinary moment. She had prepared a selection especially for M.A.L.A., including works so rare that even researchers can only consult them in facsimile: Buffet by Picasso; Jazz by Henri Matisse; Le Cirque by Léger; in addition to contemporary artistic bindings by Rose Adler, Otto Dorfner, Sün Evrard and others.

Our second visit was to the Forney Library, in a historic building with a long connection to artisans and crafts. We handled books by contemporary artists and zines, such as Pollinium by Tina Flau, engravings by Martine Rassinneux and Café-livret by Ilona Kiss.

We also visited the collection of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and its studio, a space for mixing and experimentation among students.

At the BnF Richelieu, we encounter pieces that span millennia: Mesopotamian inscriptions, Egyptian papyri, stone and bone supports. A powerful reminder of the multiple possible materials for writing and creating.

Finally, Médiathèque Marguerite Duras and Enseigne des Oudin opened their collections to us before the M.A.L.A. exhibitions, expanding this dialogue between histories and ways of making books.

It is impossible to record here everything we saw and experienced: generous conversations, unexpected discoveries, encounters that will stay with us for a long time. What remains certain is that each library, each room, each work broadened our perspectives and deepened our relationship with the artist's book. It was a journey of exchanges and new horizons, exactly what has driven M.A.L.A. from the beginning.