All that Remains

A Painting with Inscriptions

A hanging scroll depicting a small town in an idyllic landscape of lakes and gently rolling hills – it seems to be nothing more than a charming, albeit somewhat bland, Chinese painting. Yet, it tells a story of disaster and loss, of the burning of a library, and the looting and destruction of an art collection. Twelve signed inscriptions and numerous seals on the painting tell a tale of shared grief, of loyalty and friendship, and, finally, of appreciation and commemoration.

'Increasing Countdown' by Axel Malik

Leading up to the international conference ‘Studying Written Artefacts: Challenges and Perspectives’, Axel Malik, Artist in Residence at CSMC, has launched the ‘Increasing Countdown’. This unique sequence of script-like characters will be extended day by day – for 756 days, until 27 September 2023.