| Summary: | Four different approaches to the phenomenon of the palimpsest are presented here: two literary ones by Ulrike Draesner and Nicolas Ryhiner, a theoretical one by Toni Hildebrandt and a cycle of drawings by Sandra Boeschenstein. Interestingly, the concept of the palimpsest goes back to the scarcity of a resource, namely papyrus. Being in short supply, it was reused several times. Although the previous writing was scratched off, traces and fragments were still visible under the new text. Thus, simple intervention in a material drew attention to text and subtext and the way in which they relate embodies the entire complexity of the interaction between intent and autonomous dynamics. The potential of development lies in the overlapping of past and present. The great fascination and challenge of working on this publication lies in interpreting such layers and coming to terms with their nonlinear qualities. A palimpsest is not a thing in and of itself; it is part of a process that oscillates between idea and surprise. Surprises can be accidents or gifts, and sometimes even both. Doubts are cast on one layer by the next, leading at best to a complex density of losing and finding. The autonomous dynamics and unpredictability of superimposed events define the process, effectively transcending clarity and expectation. They lead to a singular quality that can only be achieved by following an indirect path. Exhibition: Galleria Edizioni Periferia, Luzern, Switzerland (07.11. - 12.12.2020).
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