The 3D-sculpture NO PHOTOGRAPHS OF REALITY challenges traditional notions of text, space, and perception. It transforms words into a three-dimensional experience, inviting viewers to explore the physicality of language in a virtual environment.

“I've always been fascinated by the interplay between words and images, between the tangible and the abstract. With NO PHOTOGRAPHS OF REALITY I aim to push the boundaries of how we encounter poetry, giving it a physical presence that viewers can navigate and interact with.

My sculpture exists in a virtual room, with each verse occupying its own unique position along the x, y, and z axes in the 3D program it is developed in. This spatial arrangement allows the poem to transcend the limitations of the page, becoming a multi-faceted entity that viewers can circle and examine from various angles.

As one moves through the virtual space, the legibility of the text shifts and changes, mimicking the way our understanding of reality can alter based on perspective. By playing with the idea of readability, you might see the back of a word, or catch a phrase from an unusual angle. It's a reminder that meaning isn't always straightforward or immediate.

The content of my poem explores the relationship between photography and words, two different means of capturing and representing ones own reality. By attributing physical qualities to the words - giving them weight, movement, and dimensionality - I blur the line between the abstract nature of language and the concrete world it often describes.

Intriguingly, the lines of text in my sculpture are in motion, suggesting an autonomy that further challenges our expectations. I like the idea that these words have a life of their own. They're not static on a page, but active participants in the creation of meaning.”

-Franziska Ostermann

NO PHOTOGRAPHS OF REALITY invites viewers to reconsider their relationship with text and image, with the virtual and the real. It's an experiment in the materiality of language, transforming poetry from something we read to something we experience with our whole being. In doing so, it raises the questions about how we perceive and interact with poetry beyond the page.