The Secret Book of Lichens – Kristupas Sabolius
The Secret Book of Lichens by Kristupas Sabolius and Aistė Ambrazeviciute / ISBN 9786099620923 / a 32-page stapled book, 12 x 17 cm, from the publisher Kirvarpa in Lithuania (text in English)
The publisher says, “This children’s book is part of the project Neringa Forest Architecture, established at Nida Art Colony, a subdivision of Vilnius Academy of Arts.” I don’t think it is just for kids, it is a funky little object for all ages.
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Sometimes, if you take a closer look at a tree trunk, you may be able to see letters. This swirly script forms part of The Secret Book of Lichens, the pages of which are scattered across the entire forest. Although many plants and animals have tried to read what is written in it, none have ever managed to assemble those mysterious symbols into any kind of cohesive sentence, or even a single word for that matter.
This book is a walk through the mind and imagination of lichens spread across the forest. The short stories tell of lichen love, their mathematics, values and other important things. These compound creatures are never alone and know great ways to make friends. Perhaps that’s why, when looking at lichens, people understood what symbiosis is – knowing how to live together. Composed of allied fungus and algae, these creatures have special powers – for example, they can easily survive in space and melt rocks. And this one particularly special lichen, Graphis scripta, was even called the script of the forest.
