The environment is light. Through the round window, the late afternoon light and the urban atmosphere invade the room. The noise of horns makes the visitors’ whispers almost disappear. They carefully evaluate the photos hanging on the walls. In the center, supports show parts of the exhibition. In common they have one of the oldest knowledge aids emerged in the Middle Ages: the book.

Entitled Sublevações do Livro: Objeto – Espaço – Matéria, the show held in early December brings productions from participants of Laboratório Inhotim, an educational project of the Institute, developed with students from Brumadinho/MG. Throughout 2013, kids investigated different aspects of this ancient technical innovation, which now awaits the moment to become obsolete – or not.

Among the 17 experiments, there are two by  Rafaela Hermenegilda. “When I started my work, my first thought was to find a subject or key object. Among many, I chose the tree, since it is a very important plant for the world and produces two essential things in my life: oxygen and the sheets that make up books “, says the girl, from the top of her 14 years of age. To build one of her proposals, Rafaela used the book literally as fertile ground. “The piece plays with role shifting, as the tree became the receiver of writing, and the book had to accommodate the tree”. A poetic metaphor of how knowledge and reading can make beautiful ideas blossom.

When planting the species in the book, Rafaela gave new meaning to literature and nature Photo: Rossana Magri

In her series of photographs, the tree is the mainstay for storytelling. “People write in trees, recording special moments, hurting them with words that summarize important memories. I started to photograph all these writings I could find. Developed the idea that they are book-objects”. On her participation in the project, she summarizes: “It was very rewarding to learn a bit about art and, perhaps, even discover a profession”.