The Wu Shanzhuan: Word Squaring the World exhibition Photo: Courtesy of Long March Space

The recent exhibition Wu Shanzhuan: Word Squaring the World showcases nearly 40 years of the artist's creations and thinking. Displaying more than 100 works since 1985, this exhibition serves as the prologue to a long-term research, exhibition and publication plan.   

At the core of the exhibition is Wu's exploration of "text" and its various states. Since his time at the China Academy of Art, Wu has had a unique awareness of Chinese characters. Together with his peers, he created works featuring "black body," "print" and "artistic" fonts, emphasizing the aesthetic value of Chinese characters as a form of art. Through his creations, Wu conducts a process of historical clearance and infusion, forming a distinctive artistic method.

Wu's work reflects the transformations taking place in modern and contemporary Chinese text and language, extending to the new text phenomena of the internet and SMS era. His art spans the political, market and consumer realms, exploring new modes of social interaction and transformation in the information age. This exhibition not only showcases his artistic achievements but also presents his profound reflections on text and society.