Hidden Pages

Brief: To create a book out of something a book couldn’t, wouldn’t, or shouldn’t be made of.

Cosy nooks, the warmth of candlelight, the musty aged smell of binding, the crunch of paper as you turn the page. These are all descriptors we are sold to associate with the tactile reading experience. Romantic as this notion might be, hidden within these pages is an uncomfortable truth. The average carbon footprint of a printed book is around 3kg. This sculpture is designed to weigh the same as the carbon produced in the average books’ manufacture and distribution, and takes around five hours to ‘read’. 

As the book melts, the lettering becomes ever more indistinguishable, and its’ original meaning lost. Loss of biodiversity and material waste are challenges that we as readers should care about. This live sculpture highlights the impact of the publishing industry on climate change.