The so-called Idiom, a column made of 8,000 books, has been present in the vestibule of the Central Library at Mariánské Square since 1998. The author of the Idiom, sometimes dubbed the “Column of Knowledge“, is the Slovak artist Matej Krén. It has been standing in the entrance hall for twenty five years and is rightly attracting a lot of attention. Lean into it – and you’ll know right away what infinity is.
Matej Kren often uses books to connect viewers with the feeling of infinity, exploring their structural use as well their application as tools of knowledge. Upon the close of many of his installations, the books used in the sculptural cells and structures are returned to their original purpose – the function of being read. The books work together to create these massive structures, and individually to spread the knowledge within their pages.“Idiom” is a long-term art installation where hundreds of books are stacked in a cylindrical tower. Mirrors placed at the bottom and the top give the exhibit the illusion of being infinite. A tear-shaped opening on one side of the tower allows visitors to peek in and experience what it would be like to drown in a book well.
During the 18 years of its existence, the Idiom book tower has become an integral part of the hall of the Central Library, drawing the attention of tourists and locals alike. It has even made it into the Lonely Planet guide and has been reproduced on the cover of Science magazine in 2011.
