by Daan Paans & Autobahn

 

In his photographic projects, Daan Paans (1985, NL), investigates the concept of time. He is interested in the way time - past, present and future - shapes our interpretation of the world. Paans applies his artistic research to his topics by connecting several multi layered case studies to it. These cases reveal questions on the topic from different perspectives and time frames, using the three stages of past - present - future as a guideline. 

 

In this latest project Rhinoceros he states one main question: How do the ever more tangible representations of the past and future become part of our contemporary reality? He uses three case studies: the representation of the prehistory in the nineteenth century, bringing flashes of history alife in the present, and the representation of the future in science fiction. Ultimately, the project sets the basis on which we base our collective perception of past and future.

 

The history of our alphabet is one of creating, copying, reducing and altering in order to create a communication system. What started as a drawing of an Ox head in Syria/Iraq around 3000 B.C., we now recognize as a capital letter A. And most of our modern letters find its origin in representations of images. E: a lattice window, S: a tooth, C: a boomerang, R: a human head.

 

In collaboration with Daan Paans we designed a typographic header for this exhibition. We used layers of transparent sheets to represent the change of our alphabet throughout time. Past and present of written communication methods come together in one image. Forming a Röntgen-photo of the core of our written communication.

 

Wood, glass, print on transparent sheets, 103 x 39 cm.

The origin of ABC:

Rhinoceros:

Close up:

Sketch process: