MINUTES
of the Plenary Meeting of Delegates
XXXIV Ex-Libris Congress
Naantali Spa Hotel, Naantali, Finland
17 August 2012
The President of FISAE, Tauno Piironen, called the meeting to order at 16:05 hours in the Viktoria Room, Naantali Spa Hotel, Naantali, Finland. At his request, Olli Ylönen presided. Apologies for absence were received from The Bookplate Society (England).
Delegations in attendance. Austria (H. Scheffer); Belgium (T. Vogelvanger); Bulgaria (R. Baramov); China Beijing (Yanxiang Shen); China Shanghai (R. Wong); Czech Republic (M. Humplik, K. Urban); Denmark (K. Rødel); Finland Aboensis (E. Sirkiä, P. Seppä-Lassila); Finland Suomen (S. Laaksonen; O. Ylönen); Germany DEG (H. Kretz); Germany Pirckheimer (M. Neureiter); Hungary (P. Urmös; K. Toth); Japan (H. Haneda, I. Uchida); Mexico (J. Keenan); Poland Warsaw (M. Bielin); Poland Malbork (B. Omieczynska); Russia Moscow (L. Shustrova) Russia Vologda (S. Ptukhin, V. Vereshchagin); Spain Catalan (M. Casas Hierro); Sweden (L. Stolt, P-A. Wiktorsson); Switzerland (S. Hausherr); Taiwan (Mr. Pan Yuan-Shih); Turkey (N. Arigan); United States (Keith Cranmer).
Also in attendance: W. E. Butler (Executive Secretary of FISAE).
1. Report on XXXIV (2012) Congress. Tauno Piironen reported briefly that 187 persons had registered from twenty-three countries and that the Congress had proceeded very satisfactorily.
2. Report on Congress Bookplate Exhibitions. The major bookplate exhibition shown as part of the Congress was the traditional exhibition of bookplates designed since the preceding Congress in 2010. These had been juried for quality and mounted at the Naantali Spa Hotel. Some 1,768 bookplates were submitted by 556 artists from 41 countries, of which the jury chose about 950 bookplates for the exhibition. First, second, and third prizes were awarded, three fourth prizes, five fifth prizes, ten sixth prizes, twelve honorable mentions, and ten certificates of honor; the monetary prizes in total amounted to €5,000. A handsome catalogue (226 p.) reproduced the best examples.
Fine catalogues were published for the exhibitions “Bookplates for Finnish Scouts” (privately by Erkki Tuominen and Olli Ylönen) and “Pearls of Asia”, an impressive collection of woodcut exlibris curated by Ichigoro Uchida and organized collaboratively by the bookplate societies of Japan, China (Beijing and Shanghai), and Taiwan. An attractive volume dedicated to Ex-libris from Naantali was compiled and introduced by Tauno Piironen.
Demonstrations of the graphic arts were offered by Takao Sano (Japan; woodcut); Tapani Kiippa (Finland; watercolour); and Ding Jinsheng (Shanghai Fu Xian; watercolour).
3. XXXV Congress (2014). The representative of Asociació Catalana d’Exlibristes confirmed the invitation to hold the next Congress in Vila-Seca, near Tarragona, Spain, from 21-27 April 2014.
The President of FISAE for the period 2012-2014 is Mr. Mariano Casas Hierro. Mr. Tauno Piironen was elected First Vice President of FISAE, and Professor Hasip Pektas was elected the Second Vice President of FISAE.
4. XXXVI Congress of FISAE (2016). Invitations were received from the Shanghai Fu Xian Zhai Exlibris Society and from the Russian National Society of Ex-Libris and Graphics Lovers (Vologda). After hearing presentations from representatives of both societies, the delegates voted to accept the invitation from the Russian National Society.
5. Congresses after 2016. Expressions of interest in holding FISAE Congresses for 2018 have been expressed by the Czech Republic (whose 100th anniversary will fall in 2018) and for either 2018 or 2020 by the The Bookplate Society (England). The American Society of Bookplate Collectors & Designers has expressed interest for 2022, which would mark the 100th anniversary of that Society.
6. Membership Applications for FISAE. The Association of Fine Arts (Varna, Bulgaria) made application for membership of FISAE at the Plenary Meeting of Delegates. The delegates decided to suspend the usual rule of advance submission and voted unanimously to accept the application made by Mr Robert Baramov, who is the head of the Association.
7. Computer-Generated Design Competition. There was no report.
8. FISAE Web-Site. There was no report.
8. FISAE Certificates and Medals. The Executive Secretary reported that during the Istanbul Congress, an anonymous donor pledged support for the creation of the Helmer Fogedgaard Medal. Although that donor supplied photographic images for the medal, the financial support had not yet been provided to complete the project.
The Executive Secretary reported FISAE Certificates of Honour had been recommended for a number of individuals and institutions since the previous Congress. The Certificates had been designed and printed letterpress by Sebastian Carter of The Rampant Lions Press and the calligraphy had been contributed by Joke van der Brandt. The full list of all participants is maintained on the FISAE web-site.
9. Definition of an Exlibris. Discussions have been held at FISAE congresses and within national societies for many years about the proper definition of an exlibris. Following the discussions at the Round Table in Istanbul, the Executive Secretary undertook to prepare a working definition for adoption by FISAE. The delegates voted to adopt the following definition and place it on the FISAE website, acknowledging that further refinements may be required in the light of experience:
“An ex-libris is a “mark” or “sign” of ownership intended or used to indicate the affiliation of a book or manuscript to a particular person(s) or institution. The indication of the affiliation of a book or manuscript may take any material form which achieves this purpose, or is intended to achieve this purpose. As a rule, this form or technique will indicate in some fashion the identification of the owner (name, initials, armorial or other form of symbolism, etc.) and may or may not contain the words “ex libris” or equivalent or abbreviation thereof in any language.
An ex-libris may or may not have “artistic qualities”, but it is not a work of art or a “cultural valuable”. It is classified as an ex-libris by virtue of (a) actually serving to identify the affiliation of a book; and/or (b) purporting to serve this purpose by indicating that it is an ex-libris. It is in all instances something consciously created by or upon the instruction of an owner and/or a designer to serve this function. The primary purpose or function of an ex-libris is to identify affiliation independently of any larger social, artistic, literary, historical, or other role that it may perform.”
10. Freedom of Movement of Exlibris. The Executive Secretary noted that FISAE is dedicated to encouraging and promoting the exchange of exlibris across national frontiers and indeed was created by exlibris collectors expressly for this purpose – an objective incorporated in the FISAE Statute. FISAE member societies assume an obligation to comply with the FISAE Statute. Membership in FISAE has little point if the country in which a FISAE society is located prohibits or interferes with the free movement and collection of exlibris. The most prominent country known to FISAE which interferes with the purpose of FISAE is the Russian Federation.
Although ex-libris are not mentioned in Russian customs legislation, nor on Russian customs forms, nor in Russian notices at customs points, nor in Russian legislation on cultural valuables or works of art, in Russian administrative customs and cultural valuables practice the movement of ex-libris is being routinely interfered with. Ex-libris are being detained for so-called “expert examination” by individuals with no obvious qualifications for this purpose and, if necessary, referred to staff of the Russian State Library for an opinion. In one such opinion the works of Leonid Shchetnev (b. 1937) were cited as a “cultural valuable”; administrative fines have been imposed and criminal liability for “smuggling” has been discussed.
At the request of the Russian societies, the delegates accepted that a period of time until the 2014 Congress should be given so that the situation might be rectified or clarified. A report will be received at that time. In the meantime, an appropriate caution will be placed on the FISAE website and member societies are requested to publish the caution in their own publications as they consider appropriate.
11. Election of Executive Coordinator of FISAE. The delegates approved a proposal submitted by the Executive Secretary to elect Benoit Junod as Executive Coordinator of FISAE to manage the website of FISAE, assist the Executive Secretary in coordinating relations with member societies and with other organizations, and otherwise further the aims of FISAE, for a term of six years. Appropriate additions are to be made in the FISAE Statute.
12. Affiliation of FISAE with the Fellowship of American Bibliophile Societies (FABS). The delegates approved such an affiliation at the 2010 Congress. The Executive Secretary reported that the formalities had been completed and that FISAE was associated with FABS with effect from 2011.
13. Russian Student Exlibris Design Competition. The delegates heard a Report from Mrs. L. Shustrova on the student exlibris design competition held at St. Petersburg in 2011. A visual presentation relating to the competition also was made during the Congress and a catalogue published of the submissions.
The Delegates expressed their appreciation to Tauno Piironen and Olli Ylönen for organizing such an excellent Congress.
The meeting was adjourned at 18:20 hours.
Tauno Piironen
President of FISAE
William E. Butler
Executive Secretary, FISAE