See Ophelia, fixed star, absurd, earthworm: Railing Codex Talk & Workshop

Join art collective Pararailing for a talk and workshop inspired by the recent publication of their artist’s book, Railing Codex, published by Page Bureau. Workshop begins at 7PM.

Railing Codex is a collective dictionary created by Pararailing, their friends, and friends of their friends. Since 2022, Railing Codex has invited over 60 contributors to write their own definitions for nothing more ordinary—and yet utterly unknowable—than words. Spanning geographical terms, mathematical concepts, flora and fauna, architectural elements, everyday objects, medical terminology, and neologisms, this growing collection of writings respond to the slippage of meaning that marks our post-pandemic world through the very attempts to define, undefine, and redefine.

Initially launched as an online project, Railing Codex has expanded into other forms over the past few years, including installation, community printshop, workshop, and an artist’s book in the form of a slanted dictionary, designed and materialized by RELATED DEPARTMENT. Using the print publication as a point of departure, this event will feature a presentation by Jie Shao, Sixing Xu, and Snow Xuecan Ye, members of Pararailing, followed by an intimate workshop. Guided by the conceptual framework of Railing Codex, participants will explore expanded forms of definition-making and collective authorship through a series of prompts and exercises.

Pararailing was founded by three artists—Jie Shao, Sixing Xu, and Snow Xuecan Ye—in 2020. It existed as an artist-run space in Shanghai from 2020 to 2021, where they organized exhibitions and the 14-day artist residency series “Guerrilla War.” Their ongoing project Railing Codex, which started in 2022, is a collectively written dictionary. It has taken the form of an online publication, installation/printshop, and a dictionary-sized book.

Para- comes from ancient Greek and means “alongside, beyond; altered; contrary; irregular, abnormal.” Railing, according to Wikipedia, is in general, a boundary feature.

Page Bureau is an independent publishing practice founded by RELATED DEPARTMENT, which releases printed matter and digital files with the broader community in arts and design, and explores the contemporary notion of publications, various modes of reading, and alternative engagements with the public.

Also check out other Workshops in Philadelphia, Arts events in Philadelphia, Exhibitions in Philadelphia.