Before a book begins. A visual essay in 7 parts.
Nils Röller (2022)

For this lecture, Nils Röller has developed a visual essay in 7 parts. He discusses (muses on) the transition from note to book. In the situation between reading, writing and perceiving, disturbing noises from the environment emerge. Nils relates the book to the ship and the tram, to vehicles for "experiencing the world". In a reflection on Ban en Banlieue by Bhanu Kapil, a question arises: how does the "core" of a book differ from the notes? This leads to the discussion regarding how the decision is made as to whether a book can have a core content when it addresses multiple events with the aim of discharging them, i.e. taking away their tension. The visual essay recapitulates the making of Nils’ book Alpentram (Vienna: Klever, 2021). 


Nils Röller is a professor at Zurich University of the Arts. His research focuses on the relation between text, image and philosophy (Iconography of Philosophy). He has published experimental texts in collaboration with artists and poets in the Journal for Art, Sex and Mathematics since 2006. Nils is a member of the editorial team for the platform Text-Image Parergon of the Shared Campus. Recent publications in English and German include Alpentram (Vienna: Klever, 2021) and “Interfacing Philosophy”, "Oswalds Hubble" on Dieter Roth and Oswald Wiener, and more.

He built up the Vilèm Flusser Archive together with Siegfried Zielinski and Silvia Wagnermaier. He also directed the festival Digitale (with Siegfried Zielinski). This led Nils to research at the interface of art, science and philosophy (Ahabs Steuer – Navigationen zwischen Kunst und Naturwissenschaft (Berlin: Merve, 2005). His literary work on Dieter Roth, Roth der Grosse, was awarded the Schiller Prize of the Zürcher Kantonalbank in 2014.

www.instagram.com/n_roeller

In addition: Dimensionen des Buchs by Nils Röller (German language text)



In: Medialität Historische Perspektiven - Newsletter Zentrum für Historische Mediologie Universität Zürich 23/2021, https://www.zhm.uzh.ch/de/newsletter.html 
(pdf version)