PARIS IMAGE UNLIMITED X PAN AFTER

Paris Image Unlimited is a project created by partners Tea Sirbiladze and David Miró, two artistic directors and collectors who share, among many other disciplines and interests, a genuine passion for rare art books. Having met in Paris, connecting after mutually admiring one another’s work from afar, the duo soon merged both personally and creatively. In Paris they found an ideal habitat to dive into bookstores and markets and decided they would explore a practice that would allow them to share their research with the largest possible audience. Acknowledging the fact that their artistic work is deeply inspired by all of their research and images from their personal library, they launched Paris Image Unlimited as a space to provide inspiration, share beauty and collaborate with artists, curators and creative directors around the globe.

At the core of Paris Image Unlimited is the belief that the act of collecting is an act of love (obsession) and continual revelation. The sourcing of archival and vintage texts is driven not only by the thrill of discovery and the magnetic pull of research, but by a reverence for art books as both container and object. Each book holds more than just content—it is a tactile, visual, and conceptual experience. Both Tea and David approach these selections with a tender and instinctual appreciation for the materiality of print itself: the weight and texture of paper, the subtleties of layout, binding, typography, image reproduction and the marks of time and use. In sharing their finds, they celebrate the fragile but transcendent beauty of these tactile creations. In their world, books are valued as collectible, compelling design objects—layered vessels of visual culture, where symbols, ideas, and aesthetics intersect.

Through the practice of curation, Paris Image Unlimited pays homage to the design processes that have shaped these texts/objects, and the histories and narratives they carry. They approach each collaborative experience with an insightful appreciation for storytelling and identity, sharing their passion for a variety of subjects and inviting dialogue with others through their selections. The process of retrieval and circulation is also a way of preserving and distributing beauty and cultural memory—a quiet yet radical gesture of care and of connection across borders, languages and disciplines. It is in many ways about celebrating the beauty of print with a community of like-minded individuals, all linked by a shared obsession. This includes the various booksellers and buyers they have met along the way, as well as thoughtful collaborations. 

Curation in this way also becomes a form of collage, gathering and re-contextualising texts to investigate meaning. Speaking in an interview about the inspiration behind this process, quoting Jarmusch (quoting Godard!) they admit “we try to absorb ideas from anywhere really. It doesn’t matter if it’s literature, music, cinema, photography, architecture, etc… I think we both work in a collage way, I mean mixing ideas from very different places. We truly feel identified with this quote from Jim Jarmusch: “Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don't bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: "It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to."

For Pan After, Paris Image Unlimited has curated a selection of thirty books which they have lovingly sourced. These texts explore art, design, cultural practice and unique visual storytelling through a decidedly global lens, reflecting a deep appreciation for unique provenance, image making and tactile arts. Whether it be a scarlet-fronted, loose-leafed Alexander Calder catalogue printed in 1977, or a rare 1938 photo book documenting regional architecture, landscapes and local traditions in Mexico - these editions form an intriguing capsule collection, celebrating craft and culture. They also express a like-mindedness and kinship born from conversations between Pan After and Paris Image Unlimited. The resulting curation beautifully reflects Pan After’s perspective as a collector and purveyor of globally sourced goods.

This curation is on view at Pan After from October 8th - November 10th 2025.