Books in 100 Words or Less, review by Corwin Levi

In the 1920s, a group of scholars in Vienna tried devising a universal picture language called isotype. In the 1990s, Shigetaka Kurita achieved that vision with emojis. And in 2012 Xu Bing wrote a book without words from emojis and other contemporary symbols. Book from the Ground portrays a very relatable and surprisingly readable day in the life of an office worker. The protagonist’s struggles with his alarm, deadlines, and online dating are made all the more real through their portrayal in universal pictures. Xu seamlessly moves between events, thoughts, and even dream sequences—and each feels fresher than the last.

FURTHER EXPLORATION

Thank you for reading. Please enjoy these works by Xu Bing. A portion of all purchases goes to support Gwarlingo.

Book from the Ground:
Point to Point

Landscape Landscript:
Nature as Language

Freedom of the Presses:
Artists’ Books in the Twenty-First Century

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