The Perpetual Storytelling Apparatus

The “Perpetual Storytelling Apparatus” is a drawing machine illustrating a never-ending story by the use of patent drawings.

The machine translates words of a text into patent drawings. Seven million patents — linked by over 22 million references — form the vocabulary. By using references to earlier patents, it is possible to find paths between arbitrary patents. They form a kind of subtext.

New visual connections and narrative layers emerge through the interweaving of the story with the depiction of technical developments.

Published by

Tom Saunter

Brixton-based ad man, night person, scorpio, other things. Big fan of chilli sauce, comic books, house music & smart people.