Vimana is a book that has been conceived without paper or ink, by using acetate sheets carved by a cutting plotter. This project tries to explore the limits of the book as a medium, and its fragility, both materially & narratively.  By offering a glance into the unknown in the shape of illustrations and texts coded in hieroglyphics.

Vimana is a book that has been conceived without paper or ink, by using acetate sheets carved by a cutting plotter. By their own nature, paper and ink are destined to degrade and perish in time. History has been told by tales transmitted throughout the years from fathers to sons, myths & legends spread through generations to explain the mysteries of antiquity that have also left us with a lot of unanswered questions. This project pays tribute to the ephemeral, to legends, and to books. The element that connects our knowledge with the origin of mankind.

Vimana is the name of flying machines described in ancient literature from India C. II BC. It is said that this ships could transport themselves on air through different stellar regions. Inspired by these machines, this project tries to explore the limits of the book as a medium, and its fragility, both materially & narratively.

This project started as a collaboration with musical producer Emelvi, who composed 3 tracks inspired by these machines. In the same way, the authors of the book have developed a visual voyage by creating illustrations with interstellar motives and pages with text extracted from ancient Indian Literature. These texts have been coded into hieroglyphics, and they can be translated while reading, thus emulating the sense of wonder and discovery that historians and archeologists face while deciphering ancient texts.

Acetate pages with laser-cut perforations in a methacrylate (Plexi-glass) box.