For this episode of Book Making as an Art Form, I speak with Eelco van Welie, director and publisher of nai010 publishers, a Rotterdam-based publishing house behind over 2,200 titles in architecture, art, photography, and design. Under his leadership since 2005, nai010 has become one of the most internationally orientated independent publishers in the Netherlands.
This episode is dedicated to Esther Scholten, long-time director of the Best Dutch Book Designs, who passed away this summer. It was originally planned as a conversation with her, and Eelco generously stepped in to carry it forward.
In our conversation, Eelco reflects on the merger that created nai010, the moment digitisation nearly convinced the industry that books were finished, and how that led to nai010's guiding idea of "from print run to reach." We talk about why design is never an after-thought, and the challenges facing printers and binders today.
Together, we spoke about:
- How NAi and 010 merged into nai010
- Publishing as an integrated ecosystem of books, exhibitions, and conversation
- The invisible labour behind every book
- nai010's evolving position on AI, authenticity, and authorship
Sit with us for a conversation about integrity, collaboration, and what it means for a publishing house to be a reflecting mirror of the world around it.
Discussed books: https://www.nai010.com/en/product/invented-from-copies/
https://www.nai010.com/en/product/interwoven-histories/
https://www.nai010.com/en/product/life-is-strange/
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Produced and hosted by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book Photographer
Audio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper Drexhage
Design: Thom Niessink
Recorded at Stedelijk Museum Library
Communication & promotion: Chana Levy
Interns: Julija Sotirovič & Birte Lemmen
❤️ Season 2 is supported by Pictoright, Het Cultuurfonds and many big-hearted individuals via Voordekunst. With particular appreciation to our principal supporters: Ruth Higgins, Luminosity Lab, Eleonoor Jap Sam / Jap Sam Books, Silvia Robertelli, Wilco Art Books Amersfoort, and Marc Gijzen.
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Explore book photography and publisher partnerships with your host, Justina Nekrašaitė.
