How would you describe your work?
It’s a manifestation of a text, not an illustration. Weaving is a language of its own and depending on the text, I will select different techniques – weaving, embroidery, braiding – to create a visual translation of a text.
What are the challenges of weaving paper?
Some paper is easier than others. Bible paper is very difficult, for example; it’s too thin. Paper that was once damp is also a problem. I like starting with ordinary paperbacks, standard editions. I tend to avoid transforming rare books or art books.
© Alex Gallosi
How do you choose your texts?
I select without selecting. The art chooses me, out of a feeling for a specific text. And then I work under two constraints: one, I use a text in its original language; and two, I make use of the complete work, the text of an entire book or poem.
Is there a way to 'read' your work?
There is no conventional linear reading, but a visual reading. It’s a kind of pure gaze onto the text. My hope is that the viewer might read Proust, for example, in a single glance. The timescale is completely altered.