Untitled (Roman numerals)

A work visualising the logic of the Roman numeral system. The rectangular board takes the form of a triptych. In the first section, consecutive numbers from 1 to 13 are represented by vertical strokes corresponding to their quantity; in the second, the same numbers are written in Roman numerals, arranged in a staircase pattern in which new symbols (“V,” “X”) appear; in the third, four highly complex Roman numerals are presented, which could be easily written in the decimal system. The work reflects on the cognitive effort that led from direct counting of objects to abstract numerical notation, in which the positional value of a sign becomes decisive. It has been executed as a digital print on paper mounted on a rigid support.