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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

Tiziano Cruz – Performance Lecture

27 Nov 2026

A performance lecture by Tiziaon Cruz, presented in collaboration with Performance Art Video and Future Ritual at CEREMONY Festival.

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Study Day: Listening to Live Art Archives

21 Nov 2026

Join us for a performance lecture with Johanna Linsley and sound artist Nicol Parkinson, drawing from Deveron Projects’ archive.

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Live Art Bookshop: ABSCISSION Launch

20 Nov 2026

Join us for the launch of ABSCISSION, a book by performance artist, educator and researcher Dani d’Emilia, published in 2026 by Canadian arts organisation Musagetes.

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Live Art Bookshop: Apocrypha Launch

28 Oct 2026

Join us for the launch of Apocrypha by Kasra Jalilipour, published my Montez Press.

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Study Day: At a Crossroads

03 Oct 2026

Join us for a group walk, followed by food and discussion, exploring walking, public space and governance with Mark Farid.

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Thinking Images: A Short Course in Video Essay Production

10 Sep 2026 - 25 Mar 2027

Five-week course with film scholar and video essayist Dr. Darren Elliott-Smith, exploring the innovative practice of Video Essay creation as a cutting-edge development in film criticism.

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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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Donation

£