Commemorating the centenary of the planetarium as an architectural type, the book The Desert Turned to Glass collects a new body of work by acclaimed Canadian artist Charles Stankievech.

Thematically, the project explores alternative theories concerning the origin of life, consciousness, and art—bridging the cosmological visions of cave art and the modern technology of the planetarium. Richly illustrated, the book pairs images of Stankievech’s installations and cinematic works with new commissioned writings and historical texts. Spanning the abyss of space and the depths of the earth, The Desert Turned to Glass is an epic meditation on origins, endings, and infinity.

Contributors: J.G. Ballard, Karen Barad, Walter Benjamin, Douglas Cardinal, Dehlia Hannah, Takashi Ikegami, Takafumi Kawakami, J. David Lewis-Williams, Clarice Lispector, Raf Rennie, Ala Roushan, Nadim Samman, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Charles Stankievech, Kim Tait

The book launch will take place at CIVA, in the presence of the artist.

The Desert Turns to Glass opens as an exhibition at KIN on the 7th of September 2023.