In Of All That is Seen and Unseen, Avakian examines printed books as sculptural objects of multiple layers of inscription. Books are symbols of history and are imbued with the weight of culture and authority. They are also a repository of sedimentations and traces, and are both unique and reproducible. Avakian devises a series of protocols, procedures and rituals to extract and bring to light latent layers of incidental inscriptions and markings that are reminiscent of palimpsests. In a series of different artifacts, some layers are made visible, while other layers are separated from the book object to be transferred and transcoded into new sculptural fossils
In Of All That is Seen and Unseen, Avakian examines printed books as sculptural objects of multiple layers of inscription. Books are symbols of history and are imbued with the weight of culture and authority. They are also a repository of sedimentations and traces, and are both unique and reproducible. Avakian devises a series of protocols, procedures and rituals to extract and bring to light latent layers of incidental inscriptions and markings that are reminiscent of palimpsests. In a series of different artifacts, some layers are made visible, while other layers are separated from the book object to be transferred and transcoded into new sculptural fossils.
In All That is Seen and Unseen, Avakian examines printed books as sculptural objects of multiple layers of inscription. Books are symbols of history and are imbued with the weight of culture and authority. They are also a repository of sedimentations and traces, including oils and salts left by human touch. Avakian devises a series of protocols, procedures and rituals to extract and bring to light latent layers of incidental inscriptions and markings that are reminiscent of palimpsests. Some of these layers appear like icons as light interacts with the oils and salts. Other layers are separated from the book object to be transferred and transcoded into new sculptural fossils.