264,000 Words in Total
Performance, Video 2:18
12/2022
264,000 Words in Total is a conceptual artwork that explores gender, power, and visibility. The work physically crushes two books—one focused on a female theme and one on a male theme—using stones, and then recombines the fragments into a single book. In this merged book, the cover remains that of the female-themed book, while the male-themed content becomes recessive, indistinguishable, and buried within. This reflects the reality in contemporary society: although women continue to fight for their rights and visibility, the structures of patriarchy still impose subtle and invisible restrictions.
The stones used to crush the books are traditional millstones from the last century, once used to grind wheat into flour.They also serve as a metaphor for oppression, symbolizing both historical weight and societal constraints on women.
By transforming literature into a tangible, compressed object, the work materializes these social dynamics and prompts viewers to reflect on how gendered voices are amplified, suppressed, or concealed in society.
