I just wanted to mention that I went up to NYC this week, and I stopped by the Public Library to see the exhibit that included an original copy of Agrippa (one of 95, I think they said). It was somewhat diminished by the fact that the exhibit was being shown in the same room as the goddamn Gutenberg Bible, but as an object, the book really carries a weight of apparent significance. It's an oversized book, with an artificially aged cloth cover that looks as though it's been buried for at least a century. It's wrapped in a shroud -- the curators had draped it quite fetchingly over the cover -- and nestled in a weird black box with a sort of metal corrugation on the inside (you can get a decent idea of it here). From my description, a friend said "So it looks like someone travelled back in time from a dystopian future to bury it in a tomb," which is exactly accurate. They didn't have the book open, but next to it was the disk with the poem, which somehow looked like old tech too even though all 3.5" floppies should look basically the same. The card by the book said that the poem's encryption, like the subject matter of the sometimes-photosensitive engravings, was supposed to be based on the DNA code... I don't think we heard that in class, but everything about the book is basically apocryphal. Anyway, it's really a neat thing to see, and if anyone's in New York while the Ninety from the Nineties exhibit is still up, you should stop by during the Library's ludicrously shortened hours.
Also, of interest from The Bug... Neubauten is playing here on 4/23. Heh heh. Anyone want to go? We can dress up like androgynous sysadmins.
Posted by Jess at March 26, 2004 04:21 AMJess,
Thanks for sharing. The photo is pretty decent -- with your description it was awesome.
Posted by: Kimberlee at March 30, 2004 08:13 PMI checked out Agrippa on Saturday while in NYC and despite your description was still surprised at how ancient the book appeared---especially sitting next to that bright, shiny floppy. I found the juxtaposition of the two odd. Maybe because the book and its corrugated box seemed a bit too self-important. But it was definitely worth seeing. Thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by: Christina at March 30, 2004 08:50 PMAii, all these people getting to check out Agrippa! I'm jealous. I'd been hoping to get up to NYC before this exhibit close but it doesn't look like that will happen.
Posted by: MGK at March 31, 2004 07:53 AMChristina, I totally know what you mean about the book seeming self-important... because of the ancient appearance, I found myself feeling like I was being faced with a serious artifact, and had to remind myself that it was all facade. Mutable contents, carefully constructed external details... there's gotta be some interesting point to make there, but I'm not up for it. :>
Anyway, glad you got to see it.
Posted by: Jess at March 31, 2004 01:58 PM