Letra Muerta Inc.

Miriam is pleased to present Re: Regenerate, Refurbish, Retype, Retrace, Revert, an exhibition that delves into the practice of Letra Muerta Inc., a Venezuelan archive, design and publishing project led by Faride Mereb and Oriana Nuzzi. The exhibition invites visitors to reconsider the significance of archival materials and the transformative power of publishing.

The expression ‘letra muerta’ (dead letter) serves as a thematic anchor for the exhibition, evoking the notion of obsolete legislation and overlooked histories. Letra Muerta Inc., embodies this ethos by uncovering and amplifying the voices within their national imagery. Through their focus on experimentation, Letra Muerta Inc. presents archival material as accessible resources, breathing new life into forgotten stories.

Re: Regenerate, Refurbish, Retype, Re-trace, Revert is a multifaceted project that celebrates the depth of Venezuelan literary and political graphics. Through public programs and an expansive exhibition featuring original documents, manuscripts, audiovisual material, and multi-media installations, visitors are invited to explore the intricate layers of Letra Muerta Inc.’s processes. The exhibition reflects on concepts such as scale, reproduction, paraphrasing, and the autobiographical, offering a delicate perspective on collective memory and identity.

Central to the exhibition are the archives of figures such as Miyó Vestrini (1938-1991), Hanni Ossott (1946-2002), Ida Gramcko (1924-1994), and Aquiles Nazoa (1920-1976), whose works were influenced by the cultural and political landscape of Venezuela. Large re-productions of manuscripts, digitized films, and framed detail reproductions provide insight into the processes and historical context of these influential figures in the 20th century.

Re: Regenerate, Refurbish, Retype, Re-trace, Revert invites audiences to engage with neglected pieces of cultural and literary Venezuelan life in a dynamic and multifaceted display. Despite challenges posed by limited infrastructure and resources in Venezuela, Letra Muerta Inc. continues to push boundaries by processing archives in the US. As archives migrate with them, Letra Muerta Inc.’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage underscores the importance of collective identity and intergenerational dialogue.

Letra Muerta Inc. is an award-winning publishing house founded by Faride Mereb in Venezuela in 2014 with the help of friends and colleagues. After relocating to NYC, Letra Muerta Inc. opened its doors in Brooklyn as a design studio, workshop, and archive center. While the studio welcomes participation from all, Letra Muerta Inc. primarily supports the work of Latin American and Caribbean artists, particularly women and other people in the periphery. The studio space is open to the public Monday through Wednesday, where you can find Faride Mereb or Oriana Nuzzi on site.

Faride Mereb is a Venezuelan award-winning art director, book designer, researcher, and educator living and working in New York City. Mereb studied graphic design and then Bachelor of Arts. Since then, she has achieved numerous awards and grants like the 10X10 Research Grant on Photo Books by Women (2022), supporting her formative research on Venezuela’s first known female graphic designer, Karmele Leizaola. Faride was a visiting scholar at Columbia University, where she was exploring the intersection of migration and printed history. She also holds ongoing collaborative projects between Latin America and Europe. She founded Letra Muerta in 2014.

Oriana Nuzzi born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Design, graduating with honors from Universidad del Zulia. In addition to studying photography and visual arts. Her work has been included in several group exhibitions, such as Cuerpo en Cuestión (with Art Nexus) and Prácticas vs. Teoréticas. Nuzzi’s work involves subjects such as the body, power, and femininity through media like performance, photography, installation, or writing. She believes in pursuing bookmaking and poetry as a form of resistance.