Book from the Ground at Castelli Gallery
Dot, Point, Period, a thoughtfully-curated exhibition by Joseph Kosuth at Castelli Gallery (opening on April 4, 2019) presents Xu Bing’s installation Book from the Ground: from Point to Point. Kosuth is a highly respected conceptual artist as well as curator. The exhibition invites works from various artists to unfold the curatorial concept; The show itself, therefore, becomes an artwork. It focuses on the visual and verbal functions of the dot as a graphic form as well as a grammatical composition. Dots are key elements in Xu Bing’s books: the story starts form a point and ends in a point.
Book from the Ground is written in signs and symbols that Xu Bing has compiled since 2003, such that any reader, regardless of cultural background or level of education, can read it. The new installation here consists of seven books published in seven different countries and regions in the past seven years. A book that does not need translation, it emphasizes the universality of emoji, the new global language. With the installation’s interactive nature, visitors are able to read the books on display.