The twin rooms constructed for Bottarelli’s chess cube project explore the interpretation of space suggested by Leibniz’s monads – space as represented by an enclosed form. Within the counterpart rooms were specific objects: a painting, a skull, a convex mirror; items suggestive of a strange and meaningful life obscured to the viewer.

“The ChessCube Project is reminiscent of the intimate games one plays while in a solitary milieu, left to one’s devices for entertainment, solace or escape. Solitary games have the capacity to be more involved than those which engage others―the stakes are higher, the level of discomfort more intense, answers to questions less absolute, and any ambition to win is internalized because it is linked to an isolated player instead of a team. Yet, this work is based upon and inspired by a game that has two players in direct opposition―a graceful harmony in accordance to the game’s prescriptions. The ChessCube Project becomes a game where one places the left and right cerebral hemispheres of their brain against one another; the logical is placed against the illogical, guiding the player towards that which may or may not be synonymous with victory or even resolution.” – Jacquelyn Davis, Artslant

This book includes an explanatory note on Bottarelli’s project, and essays by Susanne Prinz, Dennis Kirchhoff, and a description of the project’s sound design written by Alessandro Trebo.