To save the rusty books

Reading is an art. The art of reading is dependent upon the nature of reading material. Artist Jaideep Mehortra is making an attempt, to convey the great role played by printed books and the irreplaceable value of paperbacks in moulding the art of reading, in a series of art called Welders Handbook. The declining use of physical books and the changing reading habits could be a great loss for humanity, Jaideep reckons. Use of digital books has soared in recent years while paperbacks are being shunned. Over the years, scientists have come up a variety of reasons to show that physical books are more beneficial to the reader, including a Europe-wide study conducted by Stavanger University last year which concluded that those who read paperback books remember the content of the book significantly better than those who read digital books. Speaking to DT News, Jaideep said that physical books have a fascination within them; an artistic value that cannot be replaced and it would be a sad development if these books are replaced. The increased digitization has meant that youngsters spend more time reading social media content and other forms of entertainments than books, he said. “This series attempts to encapsulate centuries of ideas and thoughts by intellectuals. Symbolically captured in perspective permanent form as the Welders Handbook, it questions if it is the end, the death of physical media. The crude process of welding with all its man made flaws exemplifies the rust to preserve, before we lose all that we hold dear,” he mused. His artwork is being displayed at ArtBahrain, an art fair that is taking place in Bahrain Bay.