Lovers of Literature Get Lost in 250,000-Book Maze

Do you get a chance you art-lovers to see the “maze” of books that has been created by two Brazilian artists in London?  The artists, Marco Saboya and Gualter Pupo, made excellent use of about 250,000 books, arranging them in what is described as a “labyrinth” that is displayed at the Southbank Centre. The book maze (aMAZEme) has attracted scores of visitors since its opening. The up to eight feet high maze walls are made of stacked books of all colors and textures, offering visitors a true feast for the senses and stirring up of literary passion.

Reportedly, aMAZEme is not the first book labyrinth of its kind. Another book maze was constructed and displayed in Rio de Janeiro, but did not boast the number of books that are contained in the London exhibition. aMAZEme, created with an astounding quarter-of-a-million books, both used and new, took only 4 days to create. All of this was accomplished though the hands of about 50 volunteers and the brilliant minds of the two artists who dreamed the idea into existence.

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian writer, provided the exhortation behind Saboya and Pupo’s book creation. Apparently Borges was an avid book enthusiast. Pair that with his affection for labyrinths, and you have the inspiration for aMAZEme. The book maze is actually patterned after Borges’ fingertips, adding to the unusual but captivating overall design of the project. It’s obvious that Jorge Luis Borges’ influence is planted firmly in the heart of aMAZEme.

aMAZEme does not exist solely for aesthetic purposes; it is also interactive. Visitors are greeted with the opportunity to go on an audio tour of the book labyrinth. To ensure spectators don’t assume the books are haphazardly placed, the audio tour “guides (visitors) through the meticulously mapped book titles.” For an even richer experience, visitors have the option of watching literary icons give “performances.” The funds aMAZEme brings in will be given to poverty-fighting charities. The aMAZE me labyrinth is proving to be beneficial to both book lovers and underprivileged individuals around the world.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-504784_162-10013188.html?tag=page

http://inhabitat.com/amazeme-book-labyrinth-completed-for-the-london-2012-cultural-olympiad/

http://inhabitat.com/amazeme-book-labyrinth-completed-for-the-london-2012-cultural-olympiad/amazeme-book-maze-london-2012-2/?extend=1

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Undiscovered Treasures of the Louvre

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Over 8 million visitors flock to the Louvre each year, making this Parisian art repository the most visited museum in the world. With 60,600 square meters (or 652,300 square feet) of exhibition space, the Louvre displays 35,000 works of art, spanning from the late prehistoric era to the mid-19th century.

As soon as they enter the museum, most visitors make a beeline for the Louvre’s main attractions: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory are amongst the most popular of the museum’s offerings. The route to these artistic gems are well sign-posted along the Louvre’s lengthy labyrinth of hallways and rooms that stretch across 4 expansive floors.

However, with such an extensive offering of art, the Louvre offers myriad lesser-known treasures that are captivating in their own right.

For instance, amidst the seemingly endless slew of iconographic Christian paintings, the “Allegorie Chretienne” by Jan Provost offers a more compelling depiction of the Christian allegory, in a style that seems to more closely resemble a cross between Surrealism and contemporary collage, rather than the stereotypical Christian paintings that were being produced at the same time nearly 500 years ago.

Even those who adored the heavy metal “hair bands” of the 1980s will find a piece of art at the Louvre that strikes a chord: Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet’s painting “Le medecin Raymond Finot” is a charming portrait from the early 1700s that depicts a dignified man with an impressive bouffant, a flowing cascade of well-painted curls swirling around his shoulders.

Although the Louvre boasts some of the world’s most celebrated works of art, it also contains endless wonders for those who look beyond the ordinary crowd-pleasers to take a closer survey of the rich variety of art that the Louvre has to offer.

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