Masse & Individuen
The mass is the sum of many individuals. Individuals who stand out from the crowd are either viewed with suspicion or idolized if they manage to unite others behind them. Individuals who lead the masses are benevolent and elected decision-makers, or tyrants whose position is consolidated by the approval of the majority and the fear of the minority.Individuals who are lost in the masses may be unfree and lead a life determined by the power of others. They may never feel like the author of their own story and struggle throughout their lives to lead a self-determined life. For other individuals, it may be nicer to lead a life in the comfort of the warm nest of like-minded people. Still others try to forget a temporary loss of their autonomy and live their lives liberated from their past. And too often, when the lives of some or many are messed up or destroyed, a few individuals defend humanity, even if it means endangering their own lives.
However the dynamics of the masses and individuals are connected, whoever influences whom and whoever is influenced by others, the real question is always how much self-determination or restriction an individual or a mass needs in order to lead a happy life and how much effort the individual wants to make in order to free themselves from external influences. It is about the diversity of lifestyles and their mutual acceptance. It is about tolerance in dealing with others who may have dreams that could not be more contrary to one’s own life. It is about recounting the fates of those who did not find recognition for their actions and about never forgetting the stories of those who robbed others of their lives.
The Book of the Masses and The Book of Individuals tell stories that belong together. One side of the story takes place in the Book of the Masses, the other side of the story in the Book of the Individuals. They have to fight for their place in both books, on both double pages: both books open to four pages, sometimes the book of the masses has three pages, sometimes only one, and vice versa. The book tells stories that have already been told to the end and stories that are still relevant today.
Book Design
Editing
Editing
Does the tyrant feel free when he feels the breath of those who are being led on his neck? Is the employee in the mill of everyday life happy when they lock the office and know that the key will turn the other way around the next morning? What does the person collecting golden cups at the expense of others drink from said cup? Do those who earn their money by tracing their lips and virtually guiding the hands of thousands recognize the meaning of their existence in the glaring light of the spotlight? Did they feel the cold when they undressed to take a shower?
