Fairy tales have always been much more than bedtime stories, and this weekend in New York sets out to prove it. From September 25 to 27, Morbid Anatomy and the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS) are hosting The Art of Fairy Tales Weekend, celebrating the release of Morbid Anatomy founder Joanna Ebenstein’s new book, The Art of Fairy Tales .
The weekend opens Friday evening with the ARAS Fairy Tale Fête, a costumed evening of wine, entertainment, and shadow figures brought to life, with prizes for the best fairy tale, archetypal, or invented character. Saturday brings a full day-long symposium with a range of speakers, alongside access to ARAS and the Kristine Mann Library’s fairy tale-themed collections. The weekend closes on Sunday with a first look at Morbid Anatomy’s new collection of Victorian hair art, plus a chance to buy books and meet Ebenstein at the newly reopened Morbid Anatomy Library. The Art of Fairy Tales gathers centuries of fairy tale illustration into a single lavish collection, from Arthur Rackham’s haunting linework to Leonora Carrington’s surrealist visions. Alongside iconic renderings of familiar characters and monsters, Ebenstein offers commentary on the historical and cultural roots of each piece, tracing why these stories, and the artists who’ve reimagined them, continue to hold such a grip on the imagination. The book will be published on August 20th by Laurence King.
Tickets for the costume party and Saturday symposium are available for general admission, but a deluxe ticket adds a signed hardcover copy of The Art of Fairy Tales, a limited-edition tote bag, five 5×7 art prints from the book, and a bespoke, limited-edition witchy-woman enamel pin.
Morbid Anatomy began life as a blog Ebenstein started in 2007 to support a photo exhibition, before growing into a public research library and cabinet of curiosities, a series of exhibitions, books, and films, a stand-alone museum, and the arts and educational organisation it is today. Ebenstein, an award-winning curator, photographer, and author, has written several books on death, art, and anatomy, including Memento Mori and Anatomica, and teaches classes on creativity and ambivalent deities. She traces a family connection to Judah Loew ben Bezalel, credited with creating the Golem in 16th-century Prague, a very fitting thread for an organisation built around myth, symbol, and the uncanny.
You can buy your tickets here, and you can preview images from the book here. You can also attend their free Monday talk on Jung’s Red Book.