From Nowhere: Utopian and Dystopian Visions of our - Chris J. Young

Foreword
The exhibition From Nowhere curated by Christopher Young ably demonstrates the synergy that can
develop in a library fortunate enough to have large and disparate holdings. This exhibition and catalogue
reveal the variety and richness that result from a conceptual approach to the collections. What thread
unites Plato and Augustine with Dante, Swift, Shelley, Orwell, Atwood, X-Men and the Dark Avengers?
The pervasive human need to envision other realities, whether located in space or time, and whether
these be societies better or worse than our own, is displayed using examples ranging from a 1491
incunable edition of Plato, through works of philosophy and literature over the subsequent six centuries.
Chronologically the items on display begin with a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible and take us right through
to contemporary comic books, movies, and video games. From a yearning for a return to a mythical
golden age to visions of paradise located in an alternative reality, the exhibition highlights our longing for
both personal happiness and for a just society. Conversely, the human imagination has also, perhaps even
more powerfully and pervasively, imagined worlds even darker and more terrifying than our own.
The examples chosen are visually as well as intellectually stimulating, from the facsimile of the recently
discovered Ortelian map of Utopia, delineating the ‘fortunate Kingdom ... Fortress of Peace, centre of
Love and Justice’ to the movie posters for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Blade Runner.
While most of the works are drawn from the Fisher collections, the comic books, video games, and movie
posters on loan remind us of the importance of building the twentieth and twenty-first century special
collections necessary for future research and teaching. The diverse visions of utopia/dystopia displayed
in the exhibition reflect the preoccupations and beliefs of their time. The fact that More’s sixteenthcentury
Utopia has much in common with Orwell’s dystopian society of 1984, emphasizes that both have
a great deal to say about the social and political realities of their own day. The video games of today will
be equally eloquent to future generations of scholars looking back at our own time. Christopher Young’s
imaginative and enthusiastic approach to the topic has made us look at our collections anew, and remind
us of the constant need to evolve and adapt to new research interests and new approaches.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Friends of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library towards
our exhibition program, and the publication of the accompanying catalogue.
Anne Dondertman
Acting Director, Fisher Library
January 2013
From Nowhere: Utopian and Dystopian Visions of our Past, Present, and Future 5