The Mexican Centre for Book Arts Rafael Morales Cendejas 1* 1 University of the Arts London, SE5 8UF, UK ABSTRACT In Mexico there is a gap in Book Arts, there is an incredible history in traditional books and creativity for their innovation. However, there is not an institution focusing on connecting the practice of librarians, publishers, artists, artisans, bookbinders, readers, among others. We do have many important international book fairs, bookshops and libraries, but we are not at the forefront as USA and UK in the book arts scene. All this suggest that there is an entrepreneurial opportunity to establish as soon as possible a cultural institution. So, how do we imagine The Mexican Centre for Book Arts? This project will develop in long-term collaboration, community and cooperation. Not only within Mexico, it will encourage the networking and opportunities between other countries and other Centres for Book Arts already established. Keywords: Mexican, book, arts, collaboration 1. INTRODUCTION This paper will outline the current context of book arts practice, distribution and collections with some key studies, how do we imagine The Mexican Centre for Book Arts with an artistic process of imagination, and finally it will determine the future work with a methodology as a graphic designer. 1.1 The book arts practice, distribution and collections now. By the time that book arts have been more and more a conscious practice for a wide spectre of creators, the Artist’s Book has been studied in terms of meaning, innovative formats and historic moments. But if we look forward in this globalized world, where there is an increasing interest in creating, promoting and collecting them through traditional and digital platforms. What should new generations of book artists be doing? Considering every project do not have a recipe, it is unique and powerful in its way. There are few artists around the world and being more specific, even fewer book artists who have the possibility to travel around the world to attend 1 Contact e-mail: rafaelmoralescendejas@gmail.com art book fairs, workshops and symposiums to show and improve their production, skills and services. This small group are privileged because they can notice what is happening around the world in a contemporary way. They establish connections between exhibitors and institutions, but also they subtract ideas ready to apply in following projects. Peter Rutledge Koch is a privileged American man who has attended many artist book Fairs in his life and after several years, he decided to run its own artist book fair in California, USA. CODEX which is held biennially is one of the main art book fairs now and it is highly appreciated by the international art scene. Its dates match perfectly with one of the most important antiquarian book fairs, in this way investors, collectors and book lovers are gathering in same places and buyer circumstances. In words of Ulises Carrion (1997), ‘Only museums and collectors (and I refer specifically to museums and collections in the richest countries well know for their imperialist views on the geography and the history of culture) can have any interest in identifying, dating and registering the so called ten best works in a particular field.’