The Book of Conversations
artist book
2022
Conceived by Fatih Gençkal
[E]dited by Zeynep Yavuzcezzar
[D]esigned by Umut Altıntaş
[p]roofread accordingly by the [R]edactor Aybüke Bilgin Hinbest
[p]roduced with the production support of Dancing on the Edge and A Corner in the World
the printing support of Aşina
[p]rinted in an edition
limited to 400 copies by
Print Center
This
is a performance object. This object pretends to be a book.
This book has the voices of the [A]uthor and sixteen artists
from different corners in the world.
The voices are heard within conversations.
These conversations are read with side notes.
The side notes were written by the [A]uthor.
The [A]uthor is highlighted by the [E]ditor. The [E]ditor is guided by the [D]esigner.
The [A]uthor
The [E]ditor [manipulates].
The [D]esigner creates -
The -
Book.
Between April and November 2020, Fatih Gençkal conducted an interview experiment by starting 16 e-mail conversations with fellow artists from different corners in the world about their individual processes during the pandemic outbreak, about their works and future perspectives. Intending to chronicle the various states, perspectives and processes that we go through in different locations around the world, the “Conversations” project took place in the form of exchanged letters -in this case emails- over a period of weeks, sometimes months.
This Book is the outcome of a performance. In reference to the process of publishing a book, this experiment takes its source material from these conversations and reflects the relationship among three main elements of a book: The author, the editor, and the designer. The author of this book is having new conversations with his book, with the words guided by the editor, on the white space left by the designer.