Atlases 1995–2008 (Andrzej Bielawski)
A book that is found and absorbed into the area of creative exploration gradually evolves, becoming The Book – the one and only, the unique original. Its essence is fulfilled and, in the words of Richard de Bury, it allows us to “contemplate what is not as that which is, as it were in a mirror of eternity”. I use atlases published in many languages: Polish, English, German, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, as well as Hebrew and Arabic. Among them are geographical, neurological, radiological, linguistic, geological atlases, as well as celestial atlases.
In my work on books, I attempted to use video technology to expand the area of their existence and perception. In this case, the medium allows one to enter the narration of forms and signs in the slow rhythm of pages being turned one by one. The books are a space which is developing in time. The video projection enables a change of scale and perspective, and above all ensures a degree of distance from the materiality of the Books, allowing one to concentrate on the message itself, to see the contents and to enter the rhythm of multi-layered narration. Showing the Books on a number of screens multiplies space, and positions the viewer in a simultaneous space which opens up before him. The monotonous rhythm of the turning pages and the slight rustle of the paper which accompanies this, acting like an unarticulated mantra, slowly induce a state similar to meditation.
Andrzej Bielawski
