艺术为了人民
Inspiration
Commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Xu Bing created this original artwork to celebrate The Met’s 150th Anniversary. Art for the People for The Met is a six-color lithograph and relief print, which includes two components: Square Word Calligraphy and multiple red “seals” based on ancient Chinese literati tradition.
Sketch
I attempted to use electronic ink to create a circuit that would illuminate the corresponding English word when a user wrote Chinese characters by hand. However, due to issues with the ink, I switched the method from writing to assembling puzzle pieces that, when completed, would light up the English words. This modified approach still encompasses the three steps of learning a new language. In the first step, completing the puzzle triggers the illumination of the word, for instance, "Art" is compared to "艺术", "For" to "为了", and "People" to "人民". In the second step, the user is encouraged to pronounce the word aloud to activate the lights. Finally, in the third step, physically touching the word causes it to light up.
Working Progress
Laser Cut - Acrylic Box & Wood Box
3D modeling
Copper foil Cut
Working Progress
Code
Two plates of acrylic assembled the artifact. Several conductive tapes are lying in between the acrylic boards. The transparent medium functions as the skin of the artifact and offers a sense of the microscopic sections of my native language. Then, the hollow frames in the middle are made up of Chinese characters in deconstructed pieces. The form is inspired by Xu Bing’s “Book from the Sky” and I intend to use this artifact to reflect on my relationship with art and its context in China, in contrast to the art world in the United States.
Project Demonstration
