ROBERT ALICE: Force
ARTWORK SITE
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"The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite and perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries, with vast air shafts between, surrounded by very low railings. From any of the hexagons one can see, interminably, the upper and lower floors. The distribution of the galleries is invariable. Twenty shelves, five long shelves per side, cover all the sides except two; their height, which is the distance from floor to ceiling, scarcely exceeds that of a normal bookcase” Jorge Luis Borges, Library of Babel, 1944
A new body of work made in direct response to the French national collection of the Monnaie de Paris, the Reprints hijack original blueprints and architectural drawings from the museum’s collections and rework them into large scale abstractions.
This work was part of the exhibition at the French national museum, the Monnaie de Paris, 29 June to 22 October 2023.
The First Librarians (A Thankyou) is a gift to those individuals that supported the making of the exhibition. It is not intended to be resold.
About Babel
Taking its title from Jorge Luis Borges’ 1941 short story ‘Library of Babel’ (1941), this new exhibition by Robert Alice investigates blockchains through the lens of Borges’ infinite library. Centred around an infinite library made of discrete rooms filled with every possible text - meaningful and nonsense combined, Borges’ Library of Babel is both a premonition of blockchain structures and post-truth landscapes in the age of AI. The project is a collaboration with LaCollection and marks the first time NFTs were exhibited France's oldest institution (f.864AD).
