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The Bristol Art Library – open evening

The Bristol Art Library was created in 1998 by the artist Annabel Other who is also it’s Head Librarian. It is a fully functioning public library housed in a wooden cabinet the size of a small suitcase, and its 280 books (all 5 inches x 4 inches) cover a wide range of subjects from palaeontology to astronomy and all made by practitioners from all areas of the arts and sciences.

Membership of the Library is free and once you have received your manila reader’s ticket you can visit the Library wherever it is installed across the world – museums, arts centres, private homes, hotel lobbies etc.  It now has 12,000 members, a gift shop and a friend’s association.

As part of the Library’s 20th anniversary the Head Librarian has been touring it across the UK. We are delighted to welcome the Library and the Head Librarian for an evening in our own Study Room library as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations.

Latest events

Live Art Bookshop: Globus Hystericus Book Launch

22 Jul 2026

Join us for the UK launch of performance art duo Kainulainen & Latva’s book Globus Hystericus, published in 2025 by Finnish publishing house Taide.

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Youngsook Choi and Sophie Seita – Scales of Breathing

15 Jul 2026

Join us for participatory performance exploring eco-intelligence of more-than-human species from Youngsook Choi and Sophie Seita.

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Stock Check

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Join us for an evening of activations, reflections and performance from Claudia Palazzo and the Stock Check artists.

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Performance as Life: A Fundraiser for Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi 

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An evening of performance and film to raise funds to support the recovery of Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, known as crazinisT artisT, a multidisciplinary artist, curator, mentor and LGBTQ+ activist from Ghana.

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Delaine Le Bas – We Together……….

10 Jun 2026

Join us for a performative conversation with artist Delaine Le Bas and her long term collaborators Ronke Osinowo and Hḗrā Santos.

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PERFORMANCE CRITS: An Evening of Art School Performance

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Join us for an evening of art school performance re-imagining the art school critique, with contributions from artists and researchers at Central Saint Martins.

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Live Art Bookshop: Gina Pane Book Launch

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Join us for a thought-provoking evening celebrating the launch of Sophie Delpeux and Alice Maude-Roxby’s new book, Gina Pane: actions through time.

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Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley and Symoné – The Rules of Watching: Interactive Talk

15 Apr 2026

Artists Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley and Symoné will collaborate on an interactive talk exploring agency and spectatorship in the intersections between live art and gaming.

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