Saad Abdul Radi (Abu Dhabi)
In a number of entrances leading to the halls of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre, legendary figures woven from a creative imagination have been placed. Myths take all forms that can be imagined, without the known rules of the forms that we are familiar with, starting with humans and ending with the components of nature.
In one of the entrances there is a statue of the “Lady of Legends” confidently, and underneath it are written the words “In search of the legend.” While the written text takes the visitor on an imaginary journey, it says, “Under a sky whose stars whisper stories of the past, a traveler sailed the great sea in search of the Lady of Legends.” He continued in another clip, “Everyone who seeks her wisdom is something that quenches thirst and tells the borders of the shores, but it carries stories around the world.” “The traveler had insight that inspired him to answer, so he shouted, ‘Stories are like waters, eternal, changing, and reflective, and they connect us like distances.’” These are expressions that are in harmony with the exhibition’s slogan, “Here the stories of the world are told,” and the stories are present in the topics of thousands of books on display, some of which started from an imaginative idea but embody a story between the pages of the book.
The forms of myths change and accompany visitors and participants in the exhibition in many ways. They are images printed on the cards of media professionals and exhibition participants, and on the screens of the platforms where seminars and events are held, such as the Memphis platform, as well as on the information boards that direct the visitor to the pavilions.
These figures, which spark the imagination, were distributed in different forms, including “Batman: The Legend of the Dark Knight” and the legend of “The Wind Weaver,” and beneath them was written a text entitled “The Hidden Oasis.” The text says, “Among the whispers of the sand, a boy found his way to an oasis guarded by the great ‘Wind Weaver’ who greeted the boy with the question, ‘What is the treasure that grows when we share it?’ The boy’s eyes lit up and he answered ‘The Book.’” Yes, it is the book that calls the audience to the exhibition to say without words, “I have found what you want,” as the unlimited diversity appeals to everyone regardless of their differences.
#Myths #stir #imagination
