vasily klyukin's ebook presents an imaginary journey through dante's inferno

VASILY KLYUKIN COMMEMORATES THE 700TH ANNIVERSARY OF DANTE’S DEATH

to commemorate the 700th anniversary of dante’s death, artist vasily klyukin presents an ebook inspired by the divine comedy. titled ‘in dante veritas. sins artguide’, the online multimedia book (available to view here) is an imaginary journey through the inferno, accompanied by the greatest artists in history.

answering to the prerequisites of our current reality, the project combines an online art-book, a video animation and an audio guide in 11 languages.

DEEPENING ON THE TOPIC OF VICES

during the global lockdown, russian artist vasily klyukin created ‘in dante veritas. sins artguide’. the digital platform includes classic and contemporary artists who have worked on the topic of vices. these have been organized into thematic chapters or circles of hell. the ebook also contains photos and videos from klyukin’s in dante veritas exhibition (see more on designboom here) and various elements of originally designed videos and animations.

‘I travelled in dante’s steps and saw the sins he wrote about,’ said the artist. ‘but I saw something else… I saw that some of the sins were present in me. this is not just a digital book or a video, it’s a way to diagnose yourself and your soul. take a journey through my world, but please come back!’

with the digital book, klyukin interprets dante’s poem and deepens his research on human vice and sin, and good and evil. by referring to the works of great masters together with that of his contemporaries, the artist has created a sort of art guide to these vices with material accumulated during the pandemic.

folllowing dante’s tradition, the book employs clear and familiar images and characters, and uses contemporary original video animation to make viewing art content more digestible. flipping through the pages, readers are immersed in a museum-like tour that leads them through nine circles of art-filled hell. they meet face to face with all the human vices and klyukin’s modern horsemen of the apocalypse, who have new names – overpopulation, misinformation, extermination and pollution.