By Josalyn Moran
When I think of the book fair, I think of everything larger than life…the sculptures around the fairgrounds…
like the Hammering Man, a large kinetic sculpture created by Jonathan Borofsky that stands at the foot of the Messeturm. The black sculpture, which seems to be hammering at a constant pace, symbolizes the working man. It is made of steel and stands 21.5 meter (71 ft) tall. The Hammering Man was erected here in 1991 at the occasion of the completion of the Messeturm. The sculpture is part of a series; other Hammering Man sculptures can be found in cities such as Seattle, New York and Seoul.
Inside the fair jumbo-sized items were also evident if it was the Darth Vader made out of Legos at the DK booth,or the largest book of all time, At the Millennium House booth one could view the world’s largest book, the platinum edition of Earth. Opened it measures 6 by 9 feet. It showcases the craftsmanship of more than 100 international cartographers, geographers, and photographers. Only 31 copies will be produced, so one should place one’s order quickly. The retail? Only $100,000…
…Or the weighty marble and stone bookends for sale at the market on the grounds. The one I brought home weighed four pounds and was sculpted from beautiful blue Brazilian granite (azul bahia).
