Spatial Calligraphy

This installation is a contemporary interpretation of traditional calligraphic writing abstracted in space. Twelve video scrolls show Japanese characters written three-dimensionally and reconstructed in the installation space. In the past, Japanese artists did not interpret space in terms of perspective; they approached depth in their own way, not only in painting but in real life. 

In the gardens of France’s Palace of Versailles, trees of similar species and height are planted at regular intervals. A continuous sense of depth is created by the way in which identical trees systematically appear smaller as one looks to the horizon. Conversely, at the gardens at the Shugakuin Rikyu Imperial Villa in Japan, the scenery consists of a foreground, middleground, and background, and a sense of depth is achieved by layering. 

In this work spatial calligraphy characters written on a number of panels or layers are brought together in the exhibition space. This work explores the relation between writing in space and the way writing can create space, collapsing the expectation of calligraphy as static on a page.

Enso is the Zen practice of drawing a circle with a single brush stroke. This artwork depicts an Enso drawn as Spatial Calligraphy. The brush stroke is suspended in space but the viewpoint changes to reveal the circle Enso. teamLab has been working on Spatial Calligraphy since the collective formed. A new interpretation of traditional calligraphy, Spatial Calligraphy reconstructs calligraphy in three-dimensional space and expresses the depth, speed and power of the brush stroke.

In Zen, Enso is a circle that has since ancient times been written with canes or sticks in midair. It is said to represent enlightenment, truth, the entirety of the universe, and equality. The circle also reflects the hearts and minds of those who view it, with its interpretation left to the individual.