风物变 The Changing of Landscape-Things

2023
Book Design

This book is a publication designed for the solo exhibition "The Changing of Landscape-Things" by Fujian-born artist Kong Delin. As an "archaeologist" deeply rooted in folk culture, Kong collects old objects (referred to as fengwu) . The book adopts the traditional Chinese thread-binding format, with a red thread running through it as a visual motif. It systematically introduces the artist’s creative practice and reflections while constructing an immersive “exhibition on paper,” echoing his artistic narrative inspired by local culture.

Through multiple in-depth conversations and a close reading of the artist’s diaries, one sentence stood out: “Art history has faded from my sight, for the folk is rich enough.” This deeply moved us and guided our search for inspiration within folk traditions. We ultimately settled on the traditional Chinese thread-bound book as the form, using a red thread—commonly seen in Fujian folk culture, where it is used to tie poultry, longevity noodles, and other symbolic items during the New Year—as a visual and structural device. This red thread divides the book into two main sections: an introduction to Kong Delin and a presentation of his works in "The Changing of Landscape-Things." It not only serves as an organizational element but also symbolizes the strong sense of kinship and cultural continuity present in the artist's work.

In terms of reading structure, we innovatively designed a "dual-entry" binding—the book has no clearly defined front or back cover, allowing readers to enter from either end. One side leads into the artist’s private world, featuring his notes, documents, and manuscripts; the other presents a complete display of his creative works. These two reading paths converge at the spine, connected by the same red stitching, symbolizing the parallel and intertwined trajectories of the artist’s life and practice, while offering readers the pleasure of self-directed exploration.

The exterior cover is pure white, while the interior pages are mounted on a solid black background. Readers must carefully cut open the pages with a paper knife, creating a gradual transition from light to dark—an immersive experience akin to stepping into a dimly lit exhibition space.

During our search for paper, we came across "Yukou paper," a type native to the artist’s hometown. Though it was ultimately unsuitable for printing images due to its thinness, we were inspired by the traditional practice of stamping information along the edges of stacked paper sheets. This inspired us to print the book’s details in a stamp-like manner along its fore-edge.

For the typography, we reconstructed a movable-type grid system, treating every character—whether Chinese, English, or punctuation—as an independent “type module.” Each element is meticulously aligned within an invisible yet precise grid, reviving the classical order and mechanical beauty of movable-type printing in a contemporary digital context.

The book is printed on unbleached wood-pulp paper. Over time, the paper will naturally yellow and become brittle, mirroring the rusted iron and weathered wood in Kong Delin’s artworks. This evolving materiality echoes the theme of “The Changing of Landscape-Things,” transforming the book itself into an artistic object that grows and changes with time.

本书是为福建籍艺术家孔德林个展“风物变”所设计的同名作品集。孔德林是一位深入民间的“考古者”，长期收集旧物（风物）并进行再生创作。本书以古书线装为形态，并以一条红色脉络线贯穿，不仅系统介绍了艺术家的创作与思考，更在纸上构建出一个沉浸式展览，呼应其从乡土文化中汲取灵感的创作故事。

在数次深入对谈与翻阅艺术家日记后，一句“美术史已淡出我的视线，民间太饱满”深深触动了我们，促使我们走向民间寻找形式灵感。最终，我们定调为中国传统线装书，并以一条来自福建民间、常用于捆绑年节物品的“红线”作为视觉脉络，将全书划分为“孔德林介绍”与“风物变作品”两大板块。这条红线不仅是结构线索，也象征了艺术家作品中强烈的宗族与文化联结。

在阅读结构上，我们创新地设计了“双入口”装帧——书籍不设明确的封面与封底，读者可从两端分别进入。一端通向艺术家的私人世界，呈现其笔记、文献与手稿；另一端则完整展示其创作成果。两条阅读路径最终在书脊处交汇，由一道红色缝线贯穿，象征着艺术家生命中两大脉络的并行与交织，也为读者带来自主探索的叙事乐趣。

外部书封纯净洁白，内部作品页则全部置于纯黑色衬底之上，需借助裁纸刀逐页裁开，以此营造从明到暗、逐步步入展厅的沉浸体验。

在纸张探索过程中，我们于艺术家故乡寻得“玉扣纸”，虽因印刷适应性未能采用，但其侧面以印章标记信息的传统，启发了我们将画册信息同样以印章形式印制于书口。

排版方面，我们重构了一套活字印刷网格系统，将每个字符——无论中文、英文或标点——视为独立的“活字模块”，严格对齐于隐形而精确的网格中，以此在现代数字排版中重建传统活字的秩序与机械美感。

全书选用未漂白的树浆纸张，随着时间推移，纸张将自然变色、变脆，与艺术作品中锈蚀的铁、斑驳的木彼此呼应，共同演绎“风物变”这一主题，使书籍本身也成为一件随时间生长的艺术载体。

Designer_Bosen
Designer Assistant_Ynzz、小傅
Photographer_邹训楷
Client_桂湖美术馆