At the start of my time working for Manchester Metropolitan University, I was presented with the opp
A book or publication, in the traditional sense, is designed to be consumed in a linear order. This is left to right, front to back in the West, and right to left, ‘back to front’ in Eastern cultures. The information that we take in is structured in such a way that each new segment builds on information learned in previous parts of the work, helping the reader to develop a gradual and clear narrative.
The word ‘rhizome’ is a philosophical term, and its use as an archival term stems (no pun intended) from an opposition to the concept of ‘arborescence’ by French theorists Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. ‘Arborescence’ refers to a natural phenomenon where all forms are created from an original root and expanded upon to develop a coherent, functioning plant or tree, where there is a given hierarchy of needs in order for the plant to grow.
‘Rhizomatic’ works are unique in structure, and at their core, reject the idea that information must be introduced and processed in a linear fashion. This allows for connections to be made between any concepts within a body of work, without requiring prior understanding of other