Including MA Printmaking / Book Arts
Saturday 20th - Thursday 25th June
As part of the MA Printmaking show, Tina Hill’s book installation Excavating Babel will be on view.
This piece has been awarded the Centre for Fine Print Research’s Agassi Book Arts Prize 2009.
Excavating Babel is a large sculpture/installation composed of over 2,000 books rescued from the pulpers and the floor of the defunct Book Barn warehouse in Bristol.
“It relates firstly to the story in Genesis (11,1-9) of how mankind in cooperating together to build a tower to reach into the heavens were thwarted in their endeavours by God who made them speak different languages so that they would never be able to cooperate again. It is a comment on the loss of communication between people(s). This is reinforced by the covers of the books having been removed, (as part of the excavation of each book), so we do not know what message or story each book contains or if it is in a language that we could understand.
If you walk into the spiral at the centre you are cut off from the outside by a wall of words you cannot read. The ultimate failure in communication and cooperation between peoples is war. The Tower of Babel was built in the ancient city of Babylon. On this important archaeological site after the invasion of Iraq, the Americans built a military base where they removed archaeological material to fill the thousands of sandbags that encircled the camp.
Excavating Babel is also a monument to books in general and on a personal level, the important place they have played in my life.“
Tina Hill, 2009
Excavating Babel will be touring after the show in Bristol. If you would be interested in showing the installation, please contact Tina Hill by email: art@tinahill.me.uk
UWE Bristol - School of Creative Arts Degree Show 2009
Saturday 20th - Thursday 25th June
Saturday: 10.00 - 18.00
Sunday: 10.00 - 16.00
Monday to Thursday: 10.00 - 20.00
UWE, Bristol,
School of Creative Arts
Kennel Lodge Road
Bristol
BS3 2JT
UK
http://www.uwe.ac.uk/sca/view/
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