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2004

edium/size/format: Painted stones, wood, 107 Full Bibles, 35 New Testaments,1 Pentateuch/Haftaroth, 10 Qur'ans, 1 Book of Psalms, 9 Platforms, each 1600mm (length) x 900mm (width) x 75mm (height)
Exhibition History: 1. 2004 05 22 - 2004 06 19 Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.
2. 2007 03 24 - 2004 05 02 Cape 07, US Art Gallery, Stellenbosch.
SKOOB (reversal of 'books') - A pile of books assembled in order to be destroyed as a gesture against the proliferation and undue generation of the printed word; the ceremonial burning of books. Oxford English Dictionary

Katja Gentric and Willem Boshoff

Skoob

  • The skoobed texts are: the law of Moses (Exodus 20:1-18) and Christ's declaration in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48). The text from the Qur'an is called the 'heart of the Qur'an' (Surah Yaseen)

     

    Exodus 20:1-18
    1. And God spake all these words saying:
    2. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
    3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
    4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
    5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
    6. And shewing mercy under thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
    7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
    8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
    9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work;
    10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
    11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
    12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
    13. Thou shalt not kill.
    14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
    15. Thou shalt not steal.
    16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
    17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
    18. And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

    Matthew 5: 43-48

     

    The Qur'an
    Sura XXXVI-Ya Sin (This Sura is said to have been termed by Muhammad "the heart of the Qur'an")

     

    A 'skoob' (books backwards) is any act of destroying books or texts. The skoob is usually carried out in protest by burning or shredding, and might be religiously or politically motivated to purge a community of 'heretical' or 'subversive' influences. The earliest skoobs took place in China under the Ch'in dynasty (221-206 BC), resulting in a massive burning of books in which most copies of the Confucian classics were destroyed. The Spanish clergy undertook mass book-burnings during the 16th century. During the second half of the 18th century in Lithuania, Rabbi Elijah ben Judah Solomon Zalman (1720-1797), also known as the Vilna Gaon, ordered all books on Hasidism to be burnt, while followers of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, also known as the Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760), ordered all books on Mitnageddim to be burnt. In the Truffaut film Fahrenheit 451 (1966) the fire police do not put out the raging fires everywhere, but use them to skoob all the books on earth.

     

    The artwork SKOOB alludes to the undoing of 'reliable' biblical texts that have become compromised and ineffective through duplicitous interpretation. The 'destruction' of SKOOB's texts is by 'stoning' them and their books and for this purpose white stones, big enough to fit into the hand, are placed upon and around the books to lay them open on white tomb-like slabs. As a kind of terrorists' Tipp-ex, the white stones blot out much of the text. In many countries graves are made up in white-washed stones. When he purges the temple, Christ calls the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites and whited sepulchres.

     

    SKOOB shows what it looks like when dear and precious treasure is destroyed and scorned. It portrays a 'crucifixion' of the WORD. The skoobed texts are: the law of Moses (Exodus 20:1-18) and Christ's declaration in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-48). The text from the Qur'an is called the 'heart of the Qur'an' (Surah Yaseen).

  • SKOOB BIBLE COLLECTION: EUROPEAN BIBLES

    ALBANIAN 5,000,000 Speakers; Albania, Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece
    DHJATA E RE (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 01

    BRETON 500,000 Speakers; France
    AR BIBL SANTL - AN TESTAMANT NEVEZ I Ar Pevar Aviel (Gospels in N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 02

    BRETON 500,000 Speakers; France
    AR BIBL SANTL - AN TESTAMANT NEVEZ II Oberou Lizherou Diskuliadur (N. Testmnt Epistles) SKOOB Ref: EUR 03 BRETON 500,000 Speakers; France
    AR BIBL SANTL - AR SALMOU (Psalms) SKOOB Ref: EUR 04

    BULGARIAN 8,500,000 Speakers; Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldovia
    ?????? (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 05

    CATALAN 6,500,000 Speakers; Spain
    NOU TESTAMENT (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 06

    CELTIC GAELIC Few speakers; Scotland
    AM BIOBALL GAIDHLIG (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 07

    CROATIAN 4,500,000 Speakers; Croatia
    Sveto Pismo NOVI ZAVJET (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 08

    CROATIAN (SERBO-CROATIAN?) Number of Speakers unknown
    BIBLIJA (Stari Novi Zavjet) (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 09

    CZECH 12,000,000 Speakers; Czech Republic
    BIBLE SVATÁ (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 10

    DUTCH 20,000,000 Speakers; Netherlands, Belgium
    BIJBEL (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 11

    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BIBLE Catholic Pastoral Edition (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 12

    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    HOLY BIBLE (Large white with golden cross on cover) Authorised King James Version (Full Bible)
    SKOOB Ref: EUR 13
    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    JERUSALEM BIBLE Popular Edition (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 14

    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    HOLY BIBLE New International Version (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 15

    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    MODERN LANGUAGE BIBLE The New Berkeley Version (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 16

    ENGLISH 350,000,000 Speakers; Great Britain & Worldwide
    NEW WORLD TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 17

    ESPERANTO 100,000 Speakers; Artificial, international language
    LA SANCTA BIBLIO (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 18

    ESPERANTO 100,000 Speakers; Artificial, international language
    LA NOVA TESTAMENTO (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 19

    ESTONIAN 1,100,000 Speakers; Estonia
    PIIBEL (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 20

    FINNISH 5,000,000 Speakers; Finland, Sweden, Russia
    PYHÄ RAAMATTU (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 21

    FRENCH 70,000,000 Speakers; France & Worldwide
    LA SAINTE BIBLE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 22

    FRISIAN 750,000 Speakers; Netherlands, Germany
    BIBEL (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 23

    GERMAN 120,000,000 Speakers; Germany, Austria, Switzerland & elsewhere
    Die Gute Nachricht BIBEL in Heutigem Deutsch (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 24

    GREEK (MODERN) 11,500,00 Speakers; Greece, Cyprus
    TA IEPA GPAMMATA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 25

    GREEK (HELLENISTIC GREEK); Classical language
    INTERLINEAR GREEK-ENGLISH (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 26

    HUNGARIAN 15,000,000 Speakers; Hungary, Romania, Slovakia
    SZENT BIBLIA Istennek Ó és új Testamentomában (Full Bible - smaller version) SKOOB Ref: EUR 27

    HUNGARIAN 15,000,000 Speakers; Hungary, Romania, Slovakia
    BIBLIA Istennek az Ószövetségbenés Újszövetségben Adott Kijelentése (Full Bible - larger version)

    SKOOB Ref: EUR 28 ICELANDIC 250,000 Speakers; Iceland
    BIBLÍAN (GAMLA TESTAMENTIÐ OG NÝA TESTAMENTIÐ) (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 29

    IRISH GAELIC 80,000 Speakers; Ireland
    TIOMNA NUA ár d'Tiarna agus ár Slánaitheora Íosa Chríst (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 30

    ITALIAN 60,000,000 Speakers; Italy, Switzerland, Eritrea
    LA BIBBIA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 31

    LATIN & HELLENISTC GREEK Classical languages 
    NOVUM TESTAMENTUM GRAECE ET LATINE SKOOB Ref: EUR 32

    LATVIAN 1,500,000 Speakers; Latvia
    BIBELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 33

    LITHUANIAN 3,500,000 Speakers; Lithuania
    BIBLIJA arba SVENTASIS RASTAS (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 34

    LITHUANIAN 3,500,000 Speakers; Lithuania
    NAUJASIS TESTAMENTAS (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 35

    MACEDONIAN 2,250,000 Speakers: Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece
    HOB?OT ?ABET (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 36

    MALTESE 350,000 Speakers; Malta
    IT-TESTMENT IL-GDID (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 37

    NORWEGIAN 5,000,000 Speakers; Norway
    BIBELEN DET GAMLE OG DET NYE TESTAMENTE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 38

    POLISH 40,000,000 Speakers; Poland
    BIBLIA PISMO SWIETA STAREGO I NOWEGO TESTAMENTU (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 39

    PORTUGUESE 155,000,000 Speakers; Portugal and worldwide
    BÍBLIA SAGRADA AFRICANA African Portuguese (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 40

    PORTUGUESE 155,000,000 Speakers; Portugal and worldwide
    BÍBLIA SAGRADA em Português corrente (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 41

    ROMANIAN (RUMANIAN) 24,000,000 Speakers; Romania, Moldova, Ukraine
    BIBLIA SA SFÎNTA SCRIPTURA A VACHIULUI SI NOULUI TESTAMENT (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 43

    ROMANSCH 65,000 Speakers; Switzerland
    BIBLA La Soncha Scrittüra (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 42

    SAMI (LAPPISH) 30,000 Speakers; Lappland, Norway, Sweden, Finland
    DAK NJÆLLJE EVANGELIUMA JA APOSTALI DAGOK (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 44

    SAMI (LAPPISH) 30,000 Speakers; Lappland, Norway, Sweden, Finland
    BIBAL DAIHE BASSE CALA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 45

    SERBIAN (SERBO-CROATIAN) 18,500,000 Speakers; Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro
    CBETO ??CMO (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 46

    SLOVAK/SLAVONIC Number of Speakers unknown; Czech Republic
    THE N. TESTMNT IN SLAVONIC (N. Testmnt in a non-Roman alphabetic script) SKOOB Ref: EUR 47

    SLOVENE (SLOVENIAN) 2,000,000 Speakers; Slovenia
    SVÄTÉ PÍSMO NOVÝ ZÁKON (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: EUR 49

    SPANISH 225,000,000 Speakers; Spain and Worldwide
    SANTA BIBLIA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 51

    SLOVENE (SLOVENIAN) 2,000,000 Speakers; Slovenia
    SVETO PISMO Stare in Nove Zaveze (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 48

    SWEDISH 9,000,000 Speakers; Sweden, Finland
    BIBELN ELLER DEN HELIGA SKRIFT (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 50

    WELSH 500,000 Speakers; Wales, United Kingdom
    Y BEIBL Cymreag Newydd (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: EUR 52

    AFRICAN BIBLES

    AFRIKAANS 6,000,000 Speakers; South Africa, Namibia
    DIE BYBEL 1971 (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 01

    AFRIKAANS 6,000,000 Speakers; South Africa, Namibia
    DIE BYBEL - Nuwe Vertaling 1 (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 02

    AFRIKAANS 6,000,000 Speakers; South Africa, Namibia
    DIE BYBEL - Nuwe Vertaling 2 (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 03

    AMHARIC 14,000,000 Speakers; Ethiopia
    THE BIBLE IN AMHARIC (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 04

    BEMBA 1,850,000 Speakers; Dem. Rep. of Congo, Zambia
    ICIPANGANO CIPYA (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 05

    CHICHEWA (NYANJA) 4,000,000 Speakers; Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
    BUKU LOPATULIKA Ndilo MAU A MULUNGU (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 06

    CHOKWE 1,000,000 Speakers; Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Zambia
    MUKANDA WA ZAMBI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 07

    CHOKWE 1,000,000 Speakers; Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Zambia
    USENDO WAHA MIKANDA YA MASAMU (N. Testmnt & Psalms) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 08

    EFIK (IBIBIO) 2,750,000 Speakers; Nigeria
    EDISANA ?WED ABASI IBOM (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 09

    EWE (FON) 4,000,000 Speakers; Togo, Benin, Ghana
    NUBABLA YEYE LA (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 10

    FANTE (A dialect under AKAN, TWI) 708,470 Speakers; Ghana 
    NWOMA KR?NKR?N (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 11

    HAUSA 25,000,000 Speakers; Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon
    LITTAFI MAI TSARKI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 12

    HERERO 76,000 Speakers; Namibia
    OMBEIMBELA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 13

    IGBO 12,000,000 Speakers; Nigeria 
    BIBLE NS? (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 14

    KWANGALI (KWANGARI) 150,000 Speakers; Namibia, Angola
    BIBELI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 15

    LINGALA 8,500,000 speakers; Congo (Kinshasa & Brassaville), Central African Republic
    BOYOKANI YA SIKA PE BANZEMBO (N. Testmnt & Psalms) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 16

    LINGALA 8,500,000 speakers; Congo (Kinshasa & Brassaville), Central African Republic
    BIBLIA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 17

    LOMWE 2,000,000 Speakers; Mozambique, Malawi
    NLAKANO NAHIHANO Masalmo (N. Testmnt & Psalms) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 18

    LOZI 450,000 Speakers; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola
    BIBELE YE KENILE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 19

    LUBA (TSHILUBA) 7,800,000 Speakers; Dem. Rep. of Congo 
    DISAMBI DIPYADIPYA (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 20

    LUCHAZI 125,000 Speakers; Angola, Zambia
    MBIMBILIYA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 21

    LUVALE 600,000 Speakers: Zambia, Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo; 
    MUKANDA WAKALUNGA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 22

    MALAGASY (MALACHE) 10,000,000 Speakers: Madagascar
    NY BAIBOLY (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 23

    NAMA (KHWE, DAMARA) 150,000 Speakers; South Africa, Namibia
    ELOBMÎS (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 24

    NDAU 300,000 speakers; E Zimbabwe
    BAIBERI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 25

    DEBELE, SOUTHERN (ISINDEBELE); 1,600,000 Speakers: South Africa
    ITASTAMENDE ELITJHA ANAMARHALANI AKHETHIWEKO (N. Testmnt & selected Psalms)
    SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 26

    NDONGA 240,000 Speakers; Namibia, Angola
    OMBIMBELI ONDJAPUKI Full Bible SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 27

    NGONDE (KYANGONDE, NYAKYUSA) 820,000 Speakers: Tanzania, Malawi
    BAIBULO Inongwa Inunu (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 28

    NYAMWEZI (NYAMWANGA, CHINAMWANGA, INAMWANGA, NAMWANGA) 904,000 Speakers: Tanzania; 
    IZWILYAKWE LEZA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 29

    NYAMWEZI (NYAMWANGA, CHINAMWANGA, INAMWANGA 904,000 Speakers: Tanzania
    ITESTAMENTO LIPYA (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 30

    RONGA RANDIM 500,000 Speakers; Moçambique
    ABIBLIA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 31

    RUANDA (KINYARWANDA, RUNDI, HA) 12,000,000 Speakers Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Dem. Rep. of Congo; 
    BIBLIYA YEAR (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 32

    SANGA KISANGA 431,000 Speakers; Congo - Kinshasa
    MUKANDA WA LEZA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 33

    SHONA 8,000,000 Speakers; Zimbabwe, Mozambique
    BHAIBHERI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 34

    SOMALI 5,500,000 Speakers; Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti
    KITAABKA QODUUSKA AH (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 35

    SOTHO, NORTHERN (SESOTHO, PEDI) 3,500,000 Speakers: South Africa
    BIBELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 36

    SOTHO, SOUTHERN (SESOTHO SA LEBOA) 2,700,000 Speakers: Lesotho, South Africa
    BIBELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 37

    SWAZI (SISWATI) 1,600,000 Speakers; South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique
    LIBHAYIBHELI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 38

    TIGRIGNA (TIGRIGNYA) 3,500,00 Speakers: Eritrea, Ethiopia
    Tigrigna N. Testmnt (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 39

    TONGA (GITONGA) 900,000 Speakers; Zambia, Zimbabwe
    TESTAMENTA NYA YIPHYA Mahungu Nya Yadi (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 40

    TSONGA (XITSONGA, SHANGAAN) 1,800,000 Speakers: South Africa, Mozambique
    BIBELE yi nga Testamente ya Khale ni Le'yintsha (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 42

    TSWA (TSHWA) 700,000 Speakers; Mozambique
    A BIBLIA GO BASA (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 41

    TSWANA (SETSWANA, CENTRAL TSWANA) 4,500,000 Speakers: South Africa, Botswana 
    BEIBELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 43

    TSWANA (WOOKIE) Number of speakers unknown; Zimbabwe, Botswana 
    BIBELA E E BOITSHÈPO (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 44

    TWI: AKUAPEM (AKWAPIM) 144,790 Speakers; Ghana
    ANYAMES?M ANAA KYER?W KRONKRON AKAN KASA MU (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 45

    TWI: ASANTE 913, 270 Speakers; Ghana, Ivory Coast ANYAMES?M ANAA TWER? KRONKRON AKAN KASA MU (Full Bible - hard cover)

    SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 46 TWI: ASANTE 913, 270 Speakers; Ghana, Ivory Coast ANYAMES?M ANAA TWER? KRONKRON AKAN KASA MU (Full Bible - soft cover)
    SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 47
    TXOPI (TXITXOPI) Number of speakers unknown; Mozambique 
    TIEVANGELI TA MUNE (Four Gospels) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 48

    UMBUNDU (MBUNDU) 4,820,000 Speakers; Angola
    OTESTAMENTO YOKALIYE (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 49

    VENDA 750,000 Speakers; South Africa 
    BIVHILI (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 50

    XHOSA 6,900,000 Speakers; South Africa
    IZIBHALO EZINGCWELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA51

    ZULU 8,800,000 Speakers; South Africa, Lesotho
    IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE (Full Bible) SKOOB Ref: AFRICA 52

    NORTH AMERICAN BIBLES

    HAWAIIAN 2,000 Speakers; Hawaii
    KAUOHA HOU (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: NAM 01

    IÑUPIAQ (NORTH SLOPE) 60,000 Speakers; Canada and Alaska
    UQALUGIKSUAT (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: NAM 03

    MUSKOKEE (MUSKOGEAN) Number of speakers unknown: United States of America
    TESTEMENT MUCVSAT (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: NAM 02

    NAVAJO 440,000 Speakers; United States of America
    DIYIN GOD BIZAAD Aha'dee? ?niidíii (N. Testmnt) SKOOB Ref: NAM 04

    WESTERN APACHE Number of speakers unknown; United States of America
    BIK'EHGO'IHI'NAN BIYATI' N. Testmnt SKOOB Ref: NAM 05

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