The Whole World on One Page

There’s a lot going on in wimmel books: Children are romping around, sledding and skiing; people are having fun in marketplaces or on the beach; cars and trains are rushing over bridges and through tunnels. Without (many) words, wimmel books show the fullness of life, some celebrate abundance and chaos with relish, others try to impart a structure to the “more is more” lifestyle.

Often, wimmel books are fond of detail. At the same time, they work with condensation and repetition. Those wimmel books that are based on reality and depict everyday scenes and diversity have the potential to show “the whole world on one page” and thus convey knowledge about “the world”. However, the perspective always remains focused and determined by the chosen point of view.

Thanks to their appellative and open character, wimmel books and their pictures invite viewers to ask questions and to search, marvel, fantasize and invent stories. They thrive on interaction with their counterparts, because they not only encourage people to look closely, but also provide a huge pool of stories waiting to be told.

The exhibition “The Whole World on One Page. International Wimmel Books” shows a selection of wimmel books and pictures from countries such as Japan, Poland, Belgium, Norway… in the last 20 years. The picture panels are arranged in four sections: The section “City and Beyond” invites readers to explore urban spaces. The section “Fish and Ships” focuses on bustling scenes that take place in and around water. The section “Pleasure” is about fickle occasions such as festivals, sociable meals and amusement park visits, while in the section “World Views”, one can find images with references to real places around the world.

In order to make the continuous narrative principle of wimmel books visible, one particular book is featured in its entirety. In addition, the illustration exhibition is also accompanied by a selection of wimmel books for visitors to pick up and read.

A touring exhibition curated by the Internationale Jugendbibliothek.