Punk icon Mick Jones joins Jeremy Deller in The Vinyl Factory's eclectic Venice Biennale extravaganza...

The historically important port city of Venice is well used to seeing large cargoes arrive, but there hasn’t been an arrival to cause this much commotion for many a year. The Clash’s Mick Jones has sent over a shipment of material from his enormous London archive for the duration of the 56th Venice Biennale this summer; the selection is being presented as a site-specific archive-as-art installation — The Rock and Roll Public Library — at Instituto Santa Maria della Pietà until 22 November. Jones has been amassing his outstanding collection for the past 40 years, and his archive collection includes magazines; comics; posters; books and postcards, as well as unique items from his days with The Clash such as stage clothing, instruments and equipment.

To coincide with the Biennale, Jones is also collaborating on a special record, entitled Ex Libris, with the folks at The Vinyl Factory. The limited edition release is made up of new material recorded by the artist early this year, and features Jones’ album art and a booklet of images. The record label is having a busy time of things during the Biennale, with several other projects on the go. These include producing a working jukebox in collaboration with Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller. The Factory Records machine contains 60 seven-inch records containing sounds recorded at factories and is set against a mural created by Deller, the records will be released in a tightly limited edition box-set designed by the artist with designer Fraser Muggeridge. Live Biennale performances by Jason Moran (who presents STAGED — a recreation of iconic jazz club stages), Jeremy Deller, Olaf Nicolai and Matthieu Abonnec are also being recorded direct to disc using The Vinyl Factory’s mobile cutting lathe, and will be released as collectible vinyl on the VF label. Keep your eyes peeled for more details on the The Vinyl Factory’s Biennale releases on the VF Editions webshop.

@TheVinylFactory