The repetition of images, visual sequences, accidental similarities and free associations form the alphabet of a mysterious language. Starting from her archive, Ruth van Beek makes collages and books. A large part of this archive finds its origin in old manuals. Books that are made as a tool, as an advisor for everyday occupations. The images in this book mainly show hands that demonstrate how something is supposed to be done. Hands that dig in the earth, that make dolls, that arrange owers, that cook. By focusing on the action and detaching from the original context, van Beek encourages imagination, thereby provoking uncomfortable and uneasy feelings: passive human hands become animated, objects become characters and abstract shapes come to life.