The Book as Illusion. Hiding Places, Fake Libraries, Art Objects

We are so accustomed to the omnipresence and ordinariness of books that we are not surprised when various things appear before us in the form of books. The author suggests taking a closer look at how humans have learned to value not so much the content of a book but its external shell, turning books into other objects, making book props, decorating interiors with deceptions, and using images of books in painting.

Before us is an alternative history of book culture, spanning over five hundred years. With the invention of the printing press, the book ceases to be a sacredly kept, highly revered object. Now it is an anti-relic, and sometimes a symbol of the powerlessness of reason. Society begins to especially appreciate the decorative function, and the paper book becomes an art object or part of one.