An (imaginary) inventory of … was one of my favorite publications to be produced thus far–combining deep historical research by Ross Louis from Xavier University into a George Perec-style citywide participatory performance of the investigation into the remnants of New Orleans colonial gardens.
Artist: Ross Louis
48 Pages
5 x 7.75 in.
Foldout Map
Risograph edition of 150
Print produced in-house
The challenge was formatting an essay, participatory activities, investigations, a glossary, and historical data into a guide book of sorts that act equally as a work book / journal that paves the way into an independent open investigation throughout the city. Additionally, it was the rare opportunity to design as well as produce the publication in-house at our Risograph studio. The largest hurdle was translating the author’s mind-map intentions into something coherent for anyone whom approaches the publication, to know what to do or simply consume it as its own piece, divorced from the performance itself.
The essay ran throughout the publication along the bottom of the publication in red ink. It made sense to keep it loose like this, as opposed to contain it to its own section. The publication requires the participants to move within space, discovering and re-examining their environment. I wanted to mirror this action within the text as well, requiring the reader to flip through and/or review other sections of the publication at once.
