Thinking Numbers

The starting point of the ’Thinking Numbers’ artist book is Jonathan Schell’s essayistic nonfiction book The Fate of the Earth, published in 1982. The book is considered one of the key works of the Cold War era and examines the consequences of nuclear war and the future of humanity. According to Schell, reflecting on the fate of the Earth brings humans into contact with something they can neither fully control nor fully understand. At its best, this state of not-knowing can lead to wonder, and wonder in turn to respect and to actions aimed at securing the future of the planet. Does not-knowing still hold value in a time when ‘’an explanation’’ is always available?

From these premises, the artist’s book ‘Thinking Numbers’ took shape. ‘Thinking Numbers’ does not comment on Schell’s original work or its themes, even though it maintains a clear connection to it. The artist’s book preserves the size and page count of the source publication, but most of the text has been removed. Only numbers, numerical references and words related to thinking remain in their original positions. The result is a list of words in which numbers and thinking detach from measurement and their logic turns into magic. Numbers no longer explain the world; instead, they become tools for thinking about meaning, time, emptiness, and the limits of control.

Thinking Numbers
Tanja Koljonen

Self published by Editions 22:22, 2024

Artist book, soft cover, 240 pages, EN
Offset, Printed by Tallinn Bookprinters, EE
Cover embossing: Antti Valta
19,5 x 13 x 1,7cm

Edition of 300 copies