This project critically engages with bookwork by exploring how rhythm and notation function as translational devices within the scroll book format. It translates a significant poem of Vietnamese literature, The Tale of Kiều by Nguyễn Du, exploring how poetic structure can be reinterpreted through physical form and notational language.

This project was prompted by the study of an existing piece of printed matter; a series of Vietnamese imperial manuscripts, held at the British Library. The late 18th-century scrolls, known as Dao Sắc Phong, functioned as royal edicts during the Nguyễn dynasty. Observing these scrolls within an institutional setting became an important part of the project. As part of the library, these objects were presented as fixed historical objects, usually behind glass and / or on a screen, through a static photo; this removed the original performative intents of unrolling as well as aspects of movement and timing. The tension between the performative intent to the institutional display prompted the question of how current institutions influence not only what we read, but the way we physically view content.

The book frames content to guide the viewer’s gaze as text transitions into notation. Materiality plays a central role, with transparency and blurring used to explore how reading is controlled and disrupted. The scroll format requires slow, deliberate movement, revealing content incrementally as it unrolls. This continuous mode of engagement contrasts with the codex’s division into individual pages. By emphasizing continuity, rhythm, and controlled revelation, Notational Scroll transforms reading as a temporal, visual, and interactive experience.