An unreadable encyclopediaSourced
An encyclopedia in writing without encoded meaning
Luigi Serafini’s Codex Seraphinianus, first published in 1981, presents an imaginary world in strange illustrations and invented script. He later said the writing has no meaning and evokes a child looking at books adults can understand.
The unreadability is part of the artwork’s purpose.
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Codex Seraphinianus · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10