FIFTY DAYS AT ILIAM

‘You will never be lovelier than you are now.’
— Homer, The Iliad

Fifty Days at Iliam derives its inspiration from a series of ten canvases by Cy Twombly (all citing The Iliad of Homer). Christian Bök has used the title from each painting as a prompt for Sudowrite (an AI author), which responds to this input by generating an adage, reminiscent of mythic poetry. Sarah Ridgley has then used her own bespoke program (perfected over many years) to repeat this line (50 times), thereby generating a page in a marvellous manuscript of handwritten flourishes, awaiting decipherment by an archaeologist.

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FIFTY DAYS AT ILIAM

YOU MUST WEAR THE BRONZE ARMOUR OF YOUR DREAMS

YOU MUST ROLL THE DICE TO GAMBLE AWAY YOUR REALM

YOU MUST LET YOURSELF BE SMITTEN BY YOUR BITTERNESS

YOU MUST GUARD THE DOORWAY OF YOUR EMPTY CHAPEL

YOU MUST PLUCK, LIKE LOVE, A VIOLET FLOWER OF FLAME

YOU MUST VISIT HELL TO SEEK THE MASONS OF YOUR FATE

YOU MUST KILL A VIPER, IF IT HAS DEFILED YOUR ORCHARD

YOU MUST LAUD YOUR DEATH IN A SYMPHONY OF SILVER

YOU MUST AIM YOUR BOW SKYWARD TO PROD THE STARS

YOU MUST FIRST BREAK A MOUNTAIN TO BECOME A GOD

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