Artist Turns 6,000 Copies of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ into ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’

In 2017, a thrift store in Swansea, Wales, faced an avalanche of unwanted copies of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code,” prompting a plea to stop the donations, attracting attention worldwide. Notably, British artist David Shrigley took note and embarked on a mission to gather as many copies as possible, accumulating 6,000 books over six years.

During the pandemic, Shrigley revisited George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” recognizing its importance. As 2020 marked 70 years since Orwell’s passing, the book was now out of copyright, allowing anyone to publish it. Inspired by this, Shrigley’s brainwave led to the concept of “Pulped Fiction,” transforming the Da Vinci Code copies into limited-edition Orwell masterpieces.

The limited-edition “Nineteen Eighty-Four” copies were recently exhibited at the Swansea thrift store. Arranged in rows, the black-and-white covers create a totalitarian aesthetic. Shrigley humorously remarked that it portrays a scenario where readers have no choice but to engage with the book.

For Shrigley, revisiting “Nineteen Eighty-Four” highlighted its continued relevance, notably regarding the manipulation of language in today’s society. He emphasized how certain terms have evolved in their connotations, altering perceptions of events and conflicts.

Shrigley referenced Margaret Atwood’s observations on how the dystopian elements in her book “The Handmaid’s Tale” mirrored events of the time. Drawing a parallel, Shrigley asserted that “Nineteen Eighty-Four” remains a pertinent read, unveiling the manipulation of language to distort reality.

Regarding the unconventional project, Shrigley expressed that it’s not a critique of libraries but a representation of ideas. Reflecting on “The Da Vinci Code,” he viewed it as a light-hearted conspiracy narrative, suggesting Brown might not disapprove of the endeavor, considering the lack of a negative response from his representatives.

“Pulped Fiction” stands as a conceptual endeavor, executed by Shrigley and collaborators like graphic designer Fraser Muggeridge. Priced at £495 ($600) for the first 250 copies and £795 ($963) for the rest, it’s self-funded and anticipated to be a thought-provoking conversation starter rather than a profit-driven initiative.

Shrigley concluded that, at this stage in his life, he’s in a position to take creative risks and follow unconventional ideas. For him, the intriguing part of such work is the dialogue it sparks and how these discussions contribute to its evolution.