Xu Bing
Word Alchemy
Asia Society Texas, Houston

Xu Bing once remarked that his conceptual installation Book From the Sky (1987–91) was “a channel for [him] to enter the profound and boundless field of language, from which [he] can touch the origin of almost all vital issues of civilization.” For five decades, the artist known for linguistic experimentation has been manipulating and transforming the written word, inviting viewers to reflect on its universality and essence as well as its limitations and contradictions. At Asia Society Texas in Houston more than 50 of Xu’s prints, drawings, videos, installations, and other ephemera were brought together as part of “Word Alchemy,” a comprehensive exhibition charting the evolution of his enduring engagement with words and language.