Poison Shelf: detail of bookshelves

Occupying a large section of the La Jolla Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, Ming Mur-Ray's installation for inSITE94 was entitled "CYM55296." Arranged on long shelves, the artist neatly installed rows of square wooden tablets displaying an invented language of calligraphy. Another element of the installation was rows of books sealed tight and with the phrase "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil," on their covers, alluding to Censorship within the arts. Also, part of the work was a bookcase randomly stacked with books fond to be controversial or drawing public complaints. Together these elements created a dialogue around language and how public and private opinion often categorizes based on content. --inSITE94

• 1994

• Mur-Ray, Ming (Hong Kong installation artist, born 1951, active in United States)

• InSITE94

This image is a scan of a 35mm color slide from the InSite Archive (MSS 707, Box 310, Folder 03, Item 240)

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (La Jolla (San Diego, Calif.))

shelves; wood (plant material); tablets; books; bookcases

• InSITE94

• Mexican-American border region

• Installations (visual works)

• Calligraphy
• Censorship
• Language
• Political art
• Prohibited books
• Writing

• image

Shared Shelf: 16715521

Online finding aid

• inSite Archive

Sculpture and Installations

[Title, Date]. InSite Archive. MSS 707. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Unknown (US)

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2020-10-26