Passages In the Making of a Book

‘Passages in the Making of a Book’ examines Chinese contemporary artist Xu Bing’s book ‘Tianshu’ (Book from the Sky).


‘Tianshu’ consists of four volumes of unreadable ‘Chinese’ characters printed in a traditional Chinese style using hand- carved wood. First exhibited in 1989 at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, ‘Tianshu’ encapsulates Xu Bing’s meticulous attention to detail, masterly word play, craftsmanship, and ability to challenge both Eastern and Western audiences.


Illustrated with 40 pages of colour reproductions of ‘Tianshu’, this ebook is the most comprehensive study of ‘Tianshu’ to date.


The ebook contains Xu Bing’s account of the genesis of the work in Mandarin and in English translation, as well as essays by numerous scholars including John Cayley (Brown University); Professor Lydia Liu (Columbia University); and Professor Haun Saussy (Yale University).


The Chinese contemporary artist Xu Bing was awarded the MacArthur Foundation ‘genius award’ in 1999, and the Artes Mundi Prize in 2004.