Spaces Within is a speculation on literature, the role it plays in contemporary society and a reflection of its relevance to humanity as an archive and as an aid to intellectual self-betterment. The aim of this project is to highlight its abstract, spatial-temporal qualities, in order to bring attention to its value as an experience rather than an object.
By exploring the contemporary publishing practice and the vast range of means it offers, I'm attempting to determine the most fitting form for my chosen literary piece. I discuss and explain the notion of serialisation and generative publishing and their connection to my case study. I refer to Ulises Carrión's Bookworks Revisited and decide to rely on the form of a newspaper to convey the predetermined meaning and highlight the spatial-temporal nature of literature.
As a final resolution of my MA research, I created a visual re-interpretation of Dostoevsky'sThe Brothers Karamazov, originally published in a serialised form. By mixing the contemporary with the old, the original with an English translation and applying a layer of time (original publication dates) that is present throughout the reading experience, I’m highlighting the space and time encapsulated in the literature. Visually, I repeatedly provide contrasting contexts, building awareness of the complexity of not only the work itself, but also of the experience surrounding it and its unique nature, dependent on the recipient. The appearance of the object itself is meant to invoke a feeling of nostalgia as well as familiarity, which would further deepen the intended reading of the project.
The final form consists of three instalments (Books I&II, Book V and Book VI).