Object Speaking
RELATED DEPARTMENT• Date added
• Date added
Object Speaking is an artist's book that showcases a collection of objects, featuring 24 short poems by poet Mu Yongquan. Each poem is centred around objects discovered within Chapter and Verse – a creative retreat located on a peninsula in the historic town of Wuzhen, China.
Shanghai-based graphic design practice RELATED DEPARTMENT collaborated with Mu Yongquan on Object Speaking. In a collaborative effort, they co-authored the book, with Mu Yongquan contributing the sentences and preface, while RELATED DEPARTMENT was responsible for developing the book's concept, design and editorial layout.
Client
Chapter & Verse
Year
2021
Concept
RELATED DEPARTMENT
Creative Director
Scarlett Xin Meng
Graphic Designer
Scarlett Xin Meng
Typefaces in Use
Object Speaking is an artist's book that showcases a collection of objects, featuring 24 short poems by poet Mu Yongquan. Each poem is centred around objects discovered within Chapter and Verse – a creative retreat located on a peninsula in the historic town of Wuzhen, China.
Shanghai-based graphic design practice RELATED DEPARTMENT collaborated with Mu Yongquan on Object Speaking. In a collaborative effort, they co-authored the book, with Mu Yongquan contributing the sentences and preface, while RELATED DEPARTMENT was responsible for developing the book's concept, design and editorial layout.
The featured objects, often disposable and lacking personal attachment, serve as rich sources of metaphor, reference and personification in the poems, inviting imagination beyond the objects per se.
In the book, keywords are highlighted from the poems and then used to search for corresponding items on used goods trading sites like Xianyu, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The results were random and comprised a mix of related and unrelated objects in comparison to the objects within Chapter & Verse.
Object Speaking curates and documents a series of non-monetary transactions where words are exchanged for goods, including images and text descriptions. It provides an experience reminiscent of solving a poetic puzzle, utilising big data, algorithms and various second-hand objects encountered online.
Blue serves as the dominant colour of the book, and is derived from the colour of unvisited URL links. RELATED DEPARTMENT chose a matching Pantone colour that can be accurately reproduced in the print production process. The book, commonly referred to as "The Blue Brick" by the practice, is documented through vivid photography, accompanied by brick samples provided by the practice's architect friend. This approach aims to project the tangible nature and inherent "objectness" of the book.
In many cases, the ink utilised in printing can emit a strong scent, but the paper and ink employed for Object Speaking comes with a fragrance reminiscent of baby soap. The intention is to cultivate a deeper sense of intimacy between the audience and the book.
RELATED DEPARTMENT
RELATED DEPARTMENT is an independent graphic design practice established in Shanghai in 2017. With a proactive approach, the studio focuses on post-Internet and post-colonial contexts within image-making processes and typographic presentations. Through deconstructing the entanglement between design, intention and spectatorship, RELATED DEPARTMENT engages in collective reflections on social discourses. By utilising various media, conducting academic research and undertaking design experiments, they strive to continuously redefine the imaginative boundaries of their discipline.
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