How does Xu Bing’s “Book from the sky” construct and deconstruct the link between sign and meaning.

Born in Chongqing, China, in 1955, Xu Bing’s artistic journey began against the during the Cultural Revolution. Growing up as the son of a historian and a librarian, he developed an appreciation for language and its role in shaping cultural identity. Xu Bing wrote for propaganda brigades, exposing him to the political manipulation of language during the Cultural Revolution. He witnessed first-hand how language was modified and weaponised for propaganda purposes, instilling in him a sense of scepticism towards linguistic and ideological constructs. After graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1981, he began working on the “Book from the Sky” (Tiānshū 天书) which featured hand-printed books and scrolls adorned with over four thousand invented Chinese characters. At first glance, Xu Bing’s “Book from the sky” appears to consist of traditional Chinese handcrafted characters covering five hundred feet worth of scrolls and volumes. However, upon closer inspection, viewers realise that the characters are entirely invented. They resemble genuine Chinese characters but are entirely devoid of meaning.

This essay will argue that Xu Bing deconstructs the link between sign and meaning through disrupting the habitual way of processing information. By doing this you are given the opportunity to re-evaluate the relationships between calligraphy and the Chinese culture. You are paradoxically given the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of the calligraphic action but also shown the futility of value that is placed on the written word. Xu Bing highlights how he can draw the viewer in by presenting them with the illusion of what seems to be the Chinese character but delivers them with nothing.  Through doing this he demonstrates how language influences the people’s interactions with culture and how easily misled they can be. However, this essay will also argue that Xu Bing constructs the link between sign and meaning through the universality of his approach. Xu Bing understands not only the power than language holds but also its arbitrary nature. By erasing the substance behind the calligraphic characters, he aims to ensure that signs and their meanings can be understood irrespective of geographical, educational, or cultural barriers as seen through ‘Book from the Ground’ and Square Word Calligraphy.

Within the Book from the Sky, Xu Bing’s intentional act of creating a language system that is illegible, disrupts the conventional understanding of language as a vehicle for communication and meaning. By creating characters that are visually familiar yet linguistically nonsensical, Xu Bing invites viewers into this paradoxical experience of comprehension and confusions, challenging the viewer to confront the arbitrary nature of language and the link between signs and their referents. The similarity of the characters within the “Book of sky” evokes a sense of recognition and familiarity which prompts the viewer to search for meaning within them. However, the ultimate acknowledgement that the characters do not mean anything leads to a sense of frustration and realisation of the inherent ambiguity of language.

Xu Bing deconstructs this link between sign and language through actively using traditional Chinese printing techniques and materials. This imbues the work with a sense of authenticity and cultural significance. Traditionally, language is seen as a tool of communication and understanding, but Xu Bing’s manipulation of it highlights its potential for manipulation and control. By creating a language system that is entirely fabricated, Xu Bing undermines the authority of language and exposes its susceptibility to manipulation. Historically, Chinese writing carried moral dimensions, serving didactic (intended to teach, moral dimension, instructive) purposes, but under Communist rule every statement was scrutinised for correctness. The absence of content in “Book from the Sky” questioned authorities’ presence and judgement. Xu Bing himself describes the work’s genesis during a time of profound anxiety, aimed at challenging lazy modes of thought. The significance of the written word is seen through Sinologist Perry Link who explores the cultural significance of writing in contemporary China, highlighting the visceral reaction provoked by Xu Bings works. For example a native speaker upon seeing this works as late as 2001 would still regard “Xu Bing as not Chinese”.[1] This illustrates the artist’s contention that attacking the written word strikes at the essence of culture.

Experiencing the power that language had throughout his upbringing and witnessing the modification and simplification of language for propaganda purposes under Mao’s regime, Xu Bing developed a keen awareness of the political dimensions inherent in calligraphic styles. His early exposure to writing for propaganda posters highlighted how the poetry within the calligraphic language was changed when put to such utilitarian uses, understanding a deeper level of political power that language and these messages had. This sparked an intrigue which Xu Bing develop through his “Book from the Sky”. The meticulous level of craftsmanship Xu Bing undertook to create this piece is illustrated through the fact that he spent over two years carving 4000 characters. He decided on this number of characters as within China you would normally be able to read around 4000 words before being regarded as literate. Daniel Szehin Ho argues that Xu Bings disruption of the readers ability to read these characters effects the viewer on two levels. The first is an experiential level where you feel like you are about to obtain the satisfactory feeling of understanding the meaning of what you are reading but then it slips away from you as you realise that you are reading nonsense. Then there is a more practical level for Xu Bing which is where the authority and power behind who can control what language is meant to convey is question by xu bing himself twisting it so that you cannot understand it anymore. This alludes to a sense of disorientation of truth and the manipulation of the ability to access truth, which he felt during the cultural revolution.

In addition to this Xu Bing’s deconstructs the link between sign and meaning through suspending the viewers ability to even comprehend what they are looking at. Xu Bing highlights a tension between calligraphy as a conveyer of semantic meaning versus its status as a form of pure visual art. This tension, historically delineated by critics like Zhang Huaiguan, elevated calligraphy beyond mere lexical communication, emphasising the beauty of brushwork and character structure over semantic content.[2] Xu Bing’s invented characters adhere to orthographic rules, initially appearing familiar and accessible, yet ultimately confounding attempts at meaning-making because of the absence of familiar lexical items. Robert E. Harrist, JR reinforces this through understanding the significance of the psychology of reading. The “Book from the Sky” not only disrupts the conventional link between sign and meaning but also the fundamental processes of reading and comprehension. This is because the “graphic patterns by readers eyes are matched to a lexicon of items, like a great computerised memory banked stored in the mind of the reader – that is how we read. Attempts to read pseudo characters like Xu Bing fail’s because there are no items stored in the reader lexicon that match the invented graphs”.[3] Therefore, Xu Bing denies access to meaning through both sight and sounds, inventing viewers into a realm where language, communication, and interpretation and indefinity suspended.

Square Calligraphy Classroom installation challenges English speakers by presenting seemingly Chinese characters that are English words, highlighting the arbitrary nature of language and writing systems. Xu Bing’s attitude toward language can be traced back to his formative experiences with language reforms in China during the 1950s, which instilled in him a mistrust of the permanence of words. Xu Bing’s scepticism toward language is deeply influenced by his study of Chan Buddhism, which views the phenomenal world as illusionary and advocates enlightenment through disrupting conventional thought patterns. By undermining the importance of language and writing, Xu Bing aims to provoke sudden enlightenment in viewers, akin to the meditative experience of grappling with a kōan in Chan Buddhism.[4] “Book from the Sky” not only deconstructs the link between sign and meaning but also invites viewers to transcend linguistic and cognitive boundaries in pursuit of deeper truths beyond conventional understanding.

“Book from the Sky” also stands as a pivotal example of Chinese conceptual art’s negotiation between aesthetic tradition and radical deconstruction. Rooted in the philosophical underpinnings of the 1980s conceptual art movement, which sought to disrupt social and aesthetic norms akin to Dadaism, Xu Bing’s work exemplifies the anti-art sentiment of the era. This sentiment, epitomized by artists like Huang Yongping, rejects the privileging of individual expression and instead emphasizes art’s role as a social activity and event in daily life.[5] This is reinforced by traditional philosophy such as Zen Buddhism which “encourages an ironic sensibility and a rejection of the privileging of any doctrine over another in the search for truth”.[6] Xu Bing leverages the visual power of traditional Chinese calligraphy to enhance the conceptual meaning of his work. Projects such as “Book from the Sky” and “Square Word Calligraphy” highlight the malleability of language and the potential for miscommunication, misunderstanding and manipulation of language. Through this Xu Bing deconstructs our assumption that that there is any truth behind the signs and languages that we use.

It is important to note that while emptiness behind the Chinese characters is meant to rid the viewers of any understanding, the emptiness of “Book from the Sky” paradoxically has engendered countless interpretations, reflecting a democratising effect as viewers fill it with personal meanings.[7] This creates a universal platform where anyone can look at the work and leave with their interpretation and understanding of it. As a result of this, Xu Bing has created an avenue to create a universal language transcending cultural boundary. An example of where he builds on this is through his project “Book from the Ground.” This work employs contemporary symbols to narrate the life of an ordinary man, emphasising the universality and internationality of signs even before the rise of technology capitalised of this through the use of emojis. In both projects, Xu Bing seeks to transcend geographical, cultural, and educational barriers, treating all signs and languages with equal significance.

In conclusion, Xu Bing’s “Book from the Sky” deconstructs the link between sign and meaning by disrupting conventional understandings of language and communication. Through his craftsmanship and intentional creation of illegible characters, Xu Bing challenges viewers to confront the arbitrary nature of language and the inherent ambiguity of signs. Additionally, Xu Bing’s work highlights the tension between calligraphy as visual art and semantic communication, ultimately aiming to transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries to create a universal platform for interpretation and understanding, constructing a new link between signs and meanings. Through projects like “Book from the Ground,” Xu Bing continues to explore the universality of signs, emphasising their international significance beyond cultural and educational barriers.

Bibliography

Brown, K. L. (2010). Meaningless Language with Meaningful Words: Buddhism and the Art of Xu Bing. Retrieved from Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/3334726/Meaningless_Language_with_Meaningful_Words_Buddhism_and_the_Art_of_Xu_Bing

Gao, M., guan, Z. s., & Gallery, A.-K. A. (2005). The wall: reshaping contemporary Chinese art. Buffalo, New York; Beijing: Albright Knox Art Gallery; Millennium Art Museum.

Harrist, R. E. (2006). Book from the Sky at Princeton: Reflections on Scale, Sense, and Sound. In J. Silbergeld, & D. C. Ching, Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing (pp. 25-45). Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press.

Silbergeld, J., & Ching, D. C. (2006). Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing. Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press.

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[1] Silbergeld, J., & Ching, D. C. (2006). Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing. Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press.

[2] Harrist, R. E. (2006). Book from the Sky at Princeton: Reflections on Scale, Sense, and Sound. In J. Silbergeld, & D. C. Ching, Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing (pp. 25-45). Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press.

[3] Harrist, R. E. (2006). Book from the Sky at Princeton: Reflections on Scale, Sense, and Sound. In J. Silbergeld, & D. C. Ching, Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing (pp. 25-45). Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press.

[4] Brown, K. L. (2010). Meaningless Language with Meaningful Words: Buddhism and the Art of Xu Bing. Retrieved from Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/3334726/Meaningless_Language_with_Meaningful_Words_Buddhism_and_the_Art_of_Xu_Bing

[5]Gao, M., guan, Z. s., & Gallery, A.-K. A. (2005). The wall: reshaping contemporary Chinese art. Buffalo, New York; Beijing: Albright Knox Art Gallery; Millennium Art Museum.

[6] Gao, M., guan, Z. s., & Gallery, A.-K. A. (2005). The wall: reshaping contemporary Chinese art. Buffalo, New York; Beijing: Albright Knox Art Gallery; Millennium Art Museum.

[7] Silbergeld, J., & Ching, D. C. (2006). Persistence/transformation: text as image in the art of Xu Bing. Princeton, N.J.; Oxford: Princeton University Press