American Swedish Institute - LoveNorwayX :Installations by Ian Ward Garlant Gallery Guide
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Transcript of American Swedish Institute - LoveNorwayX :Installations by Ian Ward Garlant Gallery Guide
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5/24/2018 American Swedish Institute - LoveNorwayX :Installations by Ian Ward Garlant Gallery Guide
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The Construction of Love
Sculpture
2014
Ian Ward Garlant
This giant Norwegian flag integrates symbols, words,
and meaningful quotes from a range of cultures. Tibetan
inscriptions appear next to Chinese hexagrams. Nordic
runes bump up against Arabic calligraphy. Each language
is unique, but the words are created with strikingly similarlines. Universal themes of love and compassion come
together to form a collage of global truth.
Tui = Joy (I Ching)
The I Chingis an ancient Chinese text, originally used for
divinaon and now considered a book of wisdom. In the
I Ching, sixty-four hexagrams provide advice on everyday
challenges. Each hexagram consists of a combinaon of
six horizontal lines, either unbroken (yang) or split in half
(yin). This parcular hexagram means tui, or joy. Look
for it in the upper right quadrant of the ag.
Wahdah = Harmony (Kufic)
Kuc script is the earliest version of Arabic, and its geometric style diers from
the owing lines and curves recognizable as Arabic wring today. Because Kuc
script consists of straight lines and 90-degree angles, it was ideal for inscribingon metal coins or stone buildings.
This word, wahdah, means harmony in Kuc. Look for it in the lower right
quadrant of the ag.
Alu = Spirit (Nordic Runes)
Aluis oen translated as spirit, and
it appears frequently in runic texts
as a charm word designed to invokemagic. Alu has also been translated
as ale, perhaps referring to the
spiritual feeling that can accompany
intoxicaon. The English word spirit
shares this double meaning. Alu
appears sideways on the ag.
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5/24/2018 American Swedish Institute - LoveNorwayX :Installations by Ian Ward Garlant Gallery Guide
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Ann ek r = I love you (Nordic Runes)
Je taime. Te amo. Ich liebe dich.
Every language has a version of this phrase. In Ancient Nordic
runes, it appears in poetry as Ann ek r.What does this
short and sweet phrase mean? Simply, I love you.
Can you ndAnn ek rin the ag? Where might you nd
other hidden inscripons of love?
Sheirab = Wisdom (Mongolian)
Looking at this Mongolian word, you can recognize
similaries among ancient scripts. The shapes andlines of this Mongolian text appear very similar to
the Tibetan and Kuc scripts; all rely on paerns of
straight lines and rectangles.
This parcular word, sheirab, means wisdom in
Mongolian. Although the word is wrien vercally, it
appears horizontally in this piece.
Tseina = Love (Horyig)
The wrien Tibetan language has remained largely
unchanged since the early 800s A.D. Horyig was a
type of seal script, meaning the symbols seen herewere used to seal ocial documents. The wordtseina
means love in Horyig text. Although its wrien
vercally, this word appears sideways across the top
of the ag in this piece.
The Construction of Love
Sculpture
2014
Ian Ward Garlant
Artist Ian Ward Garlant constructed this flag out of tough
yet lightweight boat foam, typically used to construct
lifeboats on Norwegian oil rigs. He meticulously carved
each word and symbol into foam panels and then adhered
those panels to a wooden grid, coating it all with a veneer
of silvery paint.
Use this gallery guide to explore The Construction of
Love. Search through the lines and zigzags. Seek out
meaning. What can you find?