The Feverish Library

Photo: Esfandiari/UHH

In autum 2023, Axel Malik turned the SUB Hamburg into ‘The Feverish Library’. The installation of unreadable sings on the façade, in the information centre, and in the reading rooms poses the question of the meaning and limits of writing.

Axel Malik has been ‘writing’ diaries for over 30 years. His characters do not belong to any alphabet, are unreadbale and yet recognisable to the viewer as writing at first glance. He has already produced more than 140 volumes with more than 30,000 pages using his ‘scriptural method’. Another result of his work are large-scale installations in public spaces. One such installation could be seen at the Hamburg State and University Library (SUB) from 12 September to 31 October 2024.

The exhibition was a cooperation between the SUB and the EXC ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ where Axel Malik was ‘Artist in Residence’ from 2021 to 2023.