Xu Bing, Visiting Artist Lecture 2003

Xu Bing gives a lecture at Skowhegan exploring his interest in Chinese calligraphy, text, and technology. Bing is interested in using traditional forms of calligraphy as a way to merge them with technology to create new fonts. Bing works with mulberry leaves and silkworms as well to understand the history of calligraphy in China. Bing also talks about expanding his work into installation and printmaking, and how learning different mediums has led him to become interested in relationships between traditional and contemporary ways of making. Bing further explores his conceptual practice saying that working with text and calligraphy has allowed him to contemplate ideas of the insider and outsider, as well as ideas of the mask. Bing ends his lecture on the happiness he feels that his work can also function in society outside of just the art world, through this exploration of fonts, calligraphy, and text.

All slide images (c) Xu Bing Studio