An Analysis Of Wenda Gu's Instsallation 'Temple Of Heaven'

response was disrupted’
Thus, the importance of this piece with connection with language is that, even though it takes the forms and appearances of books and scrolls and words, there is no ‘real text’ or knowledge passed on to the viewers. Instead, the emphasis has been put on the binding of the books and the typeface of the words, both inspired by the methods used during the ancient times of the Song Dynasty (6th through 10th centuries AD). Also, use of this typeface resembled the current newsprint style, hence resembling a public mode of communication and de-personalizing the piece- the artist took his personality out of the piece. Xu Bing created a ‘tension between the seriousness of the execution and presentation and the underlying absurdity (of the words) that animates this project’.
This installation consists of hair collected from barbershops, site specific to the gallery location, inscribed with invented scripts based on the Chinese, English Hindi or Arabic languages covering the walls. Similar hair curtains covered the ceiling, instead inscribed with large letters whose ‘forms synthesize Chinese characters and English letters’. Ming-style chairs with TV monitors showing ‘passing clouds’ built into the seats are arranged for a tea ceremony on the floor below. According to the