In the land of punctuation

First published in 1905, German poet Christian Morgenstern’s piece is a darkly comic linguistic caprice. Illustrated with punctuation marks, the text is a romp, and yet the political undertones are unmistakable, suggesting menacing systems of control. Rathna Ramanathan balances bold experimentation with precise communication to create a book that reinvents design as argument. Her art and design invoke icons, styles and genres of early twentieth century western and Russian avant-garde traditions to make a compelling argument about freedom of expression.