Dedicated to the People of Mesopotamia, of Babylon, of Iraq, of al-Mutanabbi Street

Description:	Edition size: 5; Dimensions: h 10½” x w 8 ½” x spine 1”; Material: canvas covered hardbound book, fingerprints and inkBeth Grossman is a socio-political artist, who sees the visual as a way to create community dialog. Her art and participatory performances are comfortable points of entry into the ongoing dialog about ‘correct history, the life-shaping force of religion and the power of social beliefsGrossman has collaborated internationally with individuals, communities, city halls, corporations, non-profits and museums in the US, Russia, China, Italy and Germany. She uses art as a creative force to stimulate conversation and focus attention on the environment, history and civic engagement - all aimed at raising awareness, building community and encouraging public participation. We leave traces of ourselves on a books pages, just as a book leaves its imprint on our hearts. A book becomes part of us. Although it can be erased, removed, obliterated, eliminated, forgotten, it lives on in our memory.A book holds its own story of all the people who have touched its pages and been moved by its wisdom, truth, vision. If we could see the fingerprints, we could follow the fingersteps of each reader and read a visual dialog between the readers.Touched is the result of my conversations with three Iraqis and one Egyptian who helped me with fingerprinting, Arabic translation and calligraphy. This edition of books represents our search for a universal way to express the word touched with all its nuances in poetic Arabic.English books open from the right and Arabic books open from the left. This book can be approached from both sides, two different worldviews. The middle of the book can be reached from either side. The journey to the end of this book is actually just the beginning.
Origin:	2013
Created By:	Grossman, Beth
Contributor(s):	Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition
Source:	http://iuidigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/AMSSH/id/477
Collection:	Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Copyright:	In Copyright
Subjects:	artists book art bookworks

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