INK Alchemy (Neuberg)
Fiction and fact stand side-by-side in the world of literature, every day we are bombarded with both. Stories fill the tabloids and scenes play out on our screens, the modern day dramas of society entertain the nation. A wealth of information is available to us at the press of a button but will we remember what we see?
With this freedom of information comes a choice, the choice of how to use it. Some people have the ability to transform a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value. These are the storytellers. Theses great minds see wealth where others see poverty, they can convert the seemingly mundane into a masterpiece, they document their tales in great novels and they leave a legacy for all to enjoy. The storytellers hold and share the future.
The project is a printing press dedicated to the production of books written by travelling authors. During the author’s stay he/she will produce a piece that will be printed within the press and archived in the public library, the book will become a unique product of Neuberg. The ink and paper will be made from the by-products of the local timber manufacturer making each copy and individual artefact. Visitors are invited to view the process at all stages in order to fully understand the story. The methods used will be adapted from traditional production processes and celebrated throughout. All machinery will act as functional sculptures promoting reading and writing. Each book produced will be alive.
The key exploration of this building is the significance of literature in our existing culture and the importance of the book as a physical artefact. It challenges the digitalization of literature and emphasises the need for literature to remain as an object accessible to all rather than a downloaded code.