Without meeting face to face
Mz* Balthazar’s Lab, Vienna
2017
curated by Patrícia J. Reis
Fotocredit: Sophie Thun
Psephoi are hand-made clay tokens which represent a Neolithic cultural technology, used for counting, calculating and trading. Certain forms and shapes of the tokens assign numerical values and goods, and also aim to represent the quantities and qualities of an object. Denise Schmandt-Besserat showed in her scientific work that those little clay tokens have been a preform of writing, arithmetic and money.
In a performative style of action, participants where invited to reflect upon this fascinating, but widely unknown system. It was an attempt to demystify and uncover the unknown meaning of such a system by re-enacting a handmade producing ritual and creating own tokens with certain meanings.
Mz* Balthazar’s Lab, Vienna
2017
curated by Patrícia J. Reis
Fotocredit: Sophie Thun
Psephoi are hand-made clay tokens which represent a Neolithic cultural technology, used for counting, calculating and trading. Certain forms and shapes of the tokens assign numerical values and goods, and also aim to represent the quantities and qualities of an object. Denise Schmandt-Besserat showed in her scientific work that those little clay tokens have been a preform of writing, arithmetic and money.
In a performative style of action, participants where invited to reflect upon this fascinating, but widely unknown system. It was an attempt to demystify and uncover the unknown meaning of such a system by re-enacting a handmade producing ritual and creating own tokens with certain meanings.
sketch book witch pencil drawings of psephoi visitors developed
18 x18 cm
18 x18 cm