Want to know why Hans K Clausen created the Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth? What inspired him to create this amazing art installation, currently housed in the University of Stirling Library.  Want to know how he did it?  How did he collect 1,984 copies of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984?

Why don’t you come along and ask him for yourself?  Hans will be available to speak to staff, students and members of the public, in the Library, between 2-4pm on Thursday 13th February 2025. No need to make a reservation just turn up, have a chat and explore the installation.

About ‘The Library’

The Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth is a work by artist Hans K Clausen. It is a visual art installation, a sculpture, a library, a museum, a curiosity, a venue, consisting solely of one novel, 1,984 copies of George Orwell’s iconic novel 1984, donated and sourced from around the world.

‘The Library’ forms a living, touring artwork and a forum for creativity, curiosity and conversation.

Many of the copies carry the evidence and patina of their previous ownership, underlinings and footnotes from a studying student, library stamps and names of borrowers, incidental inclusions of lost bookmarks, pressed flowers, birthday wishes or thanks for help, or simply the wear and tear of readership.

‘The Library’ exists to amplify the enduring significance of Orwell’s final novel. It stands as a monument to publishing and the defiance of the printed word, and to affirm the timeless power of human storytelling to transcend borders, cultures and ideologies. It should be a celebration of the ethos and principles of public libraries, the pleasure and enlightenment of reading, and the timeless joy of holding a book in your hands.

This is a collaborative exhibition between the University of Stirling Art Collection and the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP). While the exhibition is on, there will be a series of events relating to 1984, please keep an eye on the CRISP website for more details.

Hans K Clausen

Hans K Clausen is an artist who is interested in the ‘thingness’ of things; in the visual vocabularies, narrative qualities and emotive associations of ubiquitous objects. The interaction between people and their material culture is a recurring area of enquiry in his work; how we look, how we read visual language, how we make sense of our material world and how the stuff that surrounds us becomes us. He is the creator of the Winston Smith Library of Victory and Truth.