Zhou Yan Contemporary Chinese Art Archive 周彦当代中国艺术档案
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Date
1992
Format
Slide
Location of Exhibition Event
Lodz Artists Museum, Lodz, Poland
Materials
Steel, water, ink
Dimensions
8'' x 79'' x 79''
Description
A heater is installed beneath the cylindrical container of ink, and it heats the ink so that the fluid gradually transforms into air or “fog” as the ink condenses. The ascended fog becomes an “ink cloud” on the ceiling. The temperature is controlled, so the ink wouldn’t boil. This work is performed in silence, and no change or movement could be perceived by the naked eye or ear. The whole room might be permeated with the fragrance of ink during the transformation process of the ink. This work exemplifies the incarnation of the concept of Dao and its movement in time. The ink can be in the form of fluid, gas, or ice, and has been a medium in which a great deal of cultural and historical knowledge has accumulated for centuries. Therefore, the transformation of ink is not only physical and natural, but also cultural and philosophical. (See Zhou Yan, “A History of Contemporary Chinese Art: 1949 to Present”, Springer, Singapore, pp.403-405) . (Yifan Shang ‘25)
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