Photos courtesy the artist.

Ah, sweet, sweet summer. It’s a time for barbecues, free concerts, al fresco dining, and pop-up libraries.

Yes, there’s no better time to get your book on than in the summer, especially in Ghent, where Italian artist Massimo Bartolini has planted no fewer than a dozen bookcases on the sloping green of St. Peter’s Abbey. According to The Pop-Up City, the artist deliberately placed his Belgian art festival entry in alignment with the abbey’s vineyard, using space to liken the mind-broadening capacity of books with that of a friendly glass of vino. The green bookshelves mimic the abbey’s rows of grapevines, only sprouting endless public library books instead of grapes. The books are available to be borrowed, exchanged, or purchased until Ghent’s “Track: A Contemporary City Conversation” festival comes to a close in September. Please tell us there will be a pop-up artisanal cheese festival within walking distance.

by Architizer Editors

posted in New Projects

tagged Architecture, belgium, Ghent, libraries, library, pop-up, urbanism

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