Invisible Bridge
Constructing conceptual bridge that links a forest and a library, symbolizing the forest as the birthplace of books and the library as their graveyard, where they undergo transformation into another life form. This project serves as a metaphorical depiction of the life of a book, its interconnectedness with the history of human civilization, and the knowledge system. In protest against formal education that perpetually generates labor for ceaseless human consumption, this performance makes a profound statement about our continual disruption of natural order, the shortcomings of our civilization, and the ecological devastation caused by the knowledge system. It proposes a reversal, pause, and deceleration of our current actions. Over the course of six weeks, Henok will engage in a series of interactive public performances, donning a unique costume crafted from crumpled pages from dictionaries and maps. These performance will take place at diverse locations throughout Berlin, including within a forest, inside an underground train, on the streets while cycling as well as walking. Additionally, he will navigate a river , a university , a library among other engaging settings. Furthermore, each performance will be broadcasted live through social media at the Hansa Bibliotek, allowing a wider audience to join in on the experience.
These performances aim to captivate the audience through immersive visual and auditory experiences, allowing them to reimagine books from a multitude of perspectives. During the performance pages from dictionaries will be torn apart and crumpled, selected words and their meanings will be loudly read, integrated into the costume, as well as distributed to the viewers. This interactive process encourages critical discussions and active engagement. At the end of the project, a video installation which connects all the individual performances will be installed on the library's bookshelves. Meanwhile, the costume itself will also be installed as a temporary sculpture within the library space.
These performances aim to captivate the audience through immersive visual and auditory experiences, allowing them to reimagine books from a multitude of perspectives. During the performance pages from dictionaries will be torn apart and crumpled, selected words and their meanings will be loudly read, integrated into the costume, as well as distributed to the viewers. This interactive process encourages critical discussions and active engagement. At the end of the project, a video installation which connects all the individual performances will be installed on the library's bookshelves. Meanwhile, the costume itself will also be installed as a temporary sculpture within the library space.