Data protection and surveillance experts at Stirling University are to host a unique exhibition of George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four at a Scottish university.
Through a month-long exhibition and associated events, Stirling University hopes to bring new audiences to the classic tale exploring privacy, surveillance and data-keeping – and at the same time highlight its own research in to subjects.
The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth launches on Data Privacy Day, January 28, at the university’s library.
Stirling is one of only a handful of locations in the country to host the interactive exhibition featuring 1,984 pre-owned copies of the novel, which visitors can handle.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the university’s management school and its art collection.
The university is home to the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP), a collaboration of five universities which focuses on the political, legal, economic and social dimensions of contemporary technologically mediated surveillance practices.
The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth, named after a character in Nineteen Eighty-Four, was created by artist Hans K Clausen.
Its arrival at the Stirling campus follows a successful run at the Royal Scottish Academy, in Edinburgh, as part of the Society of Scottish Artists annual exhibition, and on the island of Jura, where Orwell wrote the novel.
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The copies of the novel include inscriptions, study notes and narratives from the books’ owners, for visitors to read. There will also be new copies of the novel, to which visitors can add their own notes.
As well as the exhibition, the university plans to host schools and reading groups, online and in-person talks, a screening of the film Nineteen Eighty-Four at its Macrobert Arts Centre, and the CRISP annual lecture.
Professor William Webster, Director of CRISP, said: “We’re excited to be hosting the Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth, an exhibition we hope will foster conversations about the core themes in Nineteen Eighty-Four, including data protection, surveillance, privacy and power – all of which are just as relevant today as when George Orwell’s novel was published in 1949.
“These are important areas of research for the University of Stirling and CRISP, and we know that the innovative events we have lined up alongside the exhibition will bring them, and the novel, to life for new and existing audiences.”
Sarah Bromage, Head of University of Stirling Collections, said: “At the University of Stirling we believe art is crucial, not only as an inspiration to our staff and students, but to engage the wider community with the research that is undertaken here.
“The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth is a wonderful example of art engaging with the issues we face as a society, and we are grateful to Hans for the collaboration.”
Hans K Clausen added: “The copies of the novel each have their own histories, patinas and notes or inclusions from previous owners and readers.
“Some of them are decommissioned library books, including some borrowed in 1984. Others have been turned into journals and scrap books and are works of art in themselves.
“Our aim is for the library to be a catalyst for discussion, debate and creative response.”
For more on the exhibition and to book free tickets for the exhibition launch, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exhibition-launch-the-winston-smith-library-of-victory-and-truth-tickets-1118877746459?aff=oddtdtcreator