This project examines the problem of desire in contemporary society. Modern consumerism, materialism, hedonism, and narcissistic tendencies drive people to seek instant gratification, neglecting enduring values and meaningful goals while overlooking spiritual needs and moral responsibility, thereby giving rise to selfishness and violence.
This project examines the problem of desire in contemporary society. Modern consumerism, materialism, hedonism, and narcissistic tendencies drive people to seek instant gratification, neglecting enduring values and meaningful goals while overlooking spiritual needs and moral responsibility, thereby giving rise to selfishness and violence.
By deconstructing the literary treatment of desire in Dante’s Divine Comedy, I created a series of design works—including a 2,000-page book, 300 paintings, and a related art exhibition to explore the complex relationship between desire and morality in the modern world. The entire book is produced using pure white, fine velvet paper with colorless intaglio printing to align with the sacred context of Dante’s Divine Comedy; here, white symbolizes vast, luminous vistas, while black represents the shadow of desire.
The English edition adopts “back-to-back” binding as an allusion to Heaven and Hell; the Chinese edition uses dragon-scale binding alongside traditional thread binding. I also produced a portable small-format edition so that readers, like Dante the itinerant poet, can recite verses at any time. Through designing across different language systems and book forms, I aim to navigate varied cultural contexts and discourses in my study of desire. In addition, I used Washable Paper Pro, an eco-friendly material made from natural pulp and organic components, to advocate sustainability while also aligning with the work’s concept of “baptism.” By combining back-to-back binding with washable paper, I hope to merge literary depth with social reflection and to underscore the theme of “desire” through a minimalist exhibition space.
By scrutinizing society’s excessive desires, this design seeks to explore contemporary desire while transforming it into a positive, constructive force that promotes both public and personal well-being.