Seven Panels and Index

Hanne Darboven, 1973

MEDIUMGraphite and gray ink on white wove paper
DIMENSIONSEach panel: 183 × 183 cm (72 × 72 in.); Index: 109 × 183 cm (43 × 72 in.); Installed: 381 × 767 cm (150 × 302 in.); 381 × 767.1 cm (150 × 302 in.)
LOCATIONArt Institute of Chicago
COLLECTIONPrints and Drawings
CULTUREMunich
CREDIT LINEBarbara Neff Smith Memorial Fund, Barbara Neff Smith and Solomon H. Smith Purchase Fund

Stop to experience a monumental artwork that transforms repetitive, handwritten-like marks into a mesmerizing meditation on time and process. Its vast scale and intricate detail invite close looking.

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ABOUT THIS WORK

Spanning over twelve feet wide, this monumental installation confronts you with seven large panels covered in what looks like an intricate, almost hypnotic script. Each panel, a square measuring six feet by six feet, is filled with undulating lines of graphite and gray ink. These marks resemble a continuous, cursive lowercase “l,” repeated endlessly across the white paper. The effect is both visually striking and mentally engaging, evoking text without actually forming recognizable words. This meticulous, laboriously produced script emphasizes the very act of mark-making, drawing attention to the artist’s hand and the passage of time inherent in such a repetitive process. The work also includes an "Index" panel, which, while smaller, continues this intense visual rhythm.

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

1

The vast scale: seven panels, each six feet square, plus an index panel.

2

The rhythmic, repetitive cursive lines filling each panel.

3

The subtle variations in graphite and gray ink across the "handwriting."

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Audio Deep Dive

Stop to experience a monumental artwork that transforms repetitive, handwritten-like marks into a mesmerizing meditation on time and process. Its vast scale an…

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THE ARTIST
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Hanne Darboven 1941–2009
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