Yesterday was the launch of LOOK/13 The International Photography Festival in Liverpool. It was also the opening of Liverpool's Central Library after being closed for several years for a major re-fit and makeover. I somehow managed to inadvertently involve myself in both events by creating a book for LOOK/13 that is placed in four Liverpool libraries. I'll cover all of the locations over a few blog posts but thought I should start the ball rolling with the venue most people are likely to visit.
I didn't know until yesterday where my book would be placed within the library and was quite overwhelmed when I found it in the Picton Reading Room. The Library actually takes your breath away as you walk in, it's like no other library I've ever been in, it's spectacular and awe inspiring. It's on a vast scale and managed to make me think of it's illustrious history as well as exciting me with an example of what a contemporary library can be.
The Picton Reading Room is as one friend said "one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever been in". It's a complete circle with books extending all the way around, and more or less from floor to ceiling, lit by natural daylight flooding through a dome as well beautifully ornate light fittings. Somehow my project found it's way in to this space and seems to fit perfectly. Strangely the patterns of shelved books seem to mirror the Google Images grid that forms the starting point of the book. I'm so grateful to John Keane at Liverpool Libraries who despite being in the middle of a major library re-build and re-launch managed to find time to make my project fall into place.
Please visit, not just to see my book project of course but to experience this triumph of a library, which was packed to the rafters a few hours after these pictures were taken. It felt like most of Liverpool had turned out to see the new library. There's even an open-top roof terrace with 360 degree views of the city.
If you'd like more information about Searching, my project follow this link:
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