For the lovers of unconventional art and the children of the printed word, and those who want to be taken into an extraordinary tour of a place that many consider as the venue for silence, bookish artist Chloe Spicer presents to you… 002 is The Book.
Let me warn you, this book is not for everyone and not for anyone.
But it could be for someone.
Someone who doesn’t mind being drowned in lengthy words and the weight of books. Someone who doesn’t mind spending long hours in a library reading and deciding – and sleeping in between – which among the mountain of bookish shelves will she pick as weekend midnight companions. Someone who doesn’t mind throwing in a few drops of craziness on how humankind can store data of this civilization should this earth suddenly explodes because of climate change.
Spicer is no ordinary artist as she turned to books as a means of expressing her art and her cause. In her website, she says:
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I create performative installations/sculptural book objects by commission.
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I facilitate book/library explorative workshops for events, institutions or private groups.
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I curate art/performance exhibitions or happenings in library and museum spaces and bring book inquisition to non-bookish spaces.
Spicer, who refers to herself as a library curator and bookish artist, started a library rave in June 2015. She put together a multi-sensory installation at the University of Birmingham’s Library where she placed 450 of her own library shelf mark labels on the bookshelves. That installation is documented in this book.
I got this as an ebook, thanks to Story Cartel. But this one is best appreciated in hardcover, in its printed form. It is more powerful that way because this is not your texty book. It is the kind that tells a story by reading texts from pictures. You need the thrill of flipping the physical pages of a book to fully experience Spicer’s work. The fun isn’t the same by merely swiping your finger unto digital pages of your Kindle or Book Reader.
The installation is revolutionary in a way that it mentions that books may also reach their own deaths and so it is okay to burn some of them. I was giggling when she mentioned eating books because my children eat pages books all the time and somehow their actions made sense. Perhaps they better comprehend those books by digesting them?
This book is not a must have in every household. The price of a printed copy of 002 is The Book is a little over $50 in Amazon.
Quite pricey, I know.
But…if you’re interested in book art and in exploring the library rave, this may just be a rare treasure in your possession.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Story Cartel in exchange for honest review. I was not required to write positive reviews. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
