🪚🪵 #woodtothewise 🌲 A decade ago, artist @yucefmerhi defined a system he called 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦. It is a sensorial metalanguage that can be applied to any language, making it automatically understandable to anyone. Merhi developed this universal language depicting words, mostly nouns, using the material they refer by definition. For example, he displayed the Chinese word for magnet (cítiě / 磁铁) using and arranging 1000 magnets. For 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦: 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘢, the artist researched and reproduced a set of logograms (Mayan glyphs) employing a wide range of materials. He selected elements that for centuries have been part of the Mayan artisanal culture: earth, cocoa, jade, dyes, beads, and wood. Then, he investigated which Mayan symbols designated each element; from there, Merhi created a series of sculptures and installations ranging in size from 11 inches up to 50 feet. To decipher the glyphs represented by Merhi, one must only know that "𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀". The selection process of logograms was as rigorous as possible, drawing on the expertise of archaeologists, epigraphist, and academic material. The artist also had the collaboration of botanists, historians, farmers, veterinarians, chefs, carvers, artisans, and experts in various fields. To produce 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 (𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥: 𝘛𝘦 #𝟹), the artist carved a piece of wood with the logogram that corresponds to the symbol for ‘wood.’ Merhi had the support of an archaeologist-epigraphist and a local carpenter. Yucef Merhi 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 (𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥: 𝘛𝘦 # 𝟹) 2014 Cedar wood 17¼ ⨉ 47 ⨉ 1 inches Courtesy of the artist and The Bonnier Gallery, Miami, FL. @thebonniergallery ___ #yucefmerhi #perfectlanguage #thebonniergallery #te3 #wood #woodcarving #mayanlanguage #maya #mayansymbol #mayanlanguage #venezuelanartist #ancientworld #ancientcivilization #deadlanguage #logogram #metalanguage #te (at The Bonnier Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNr5w0fnV1R/?igshid=1cay3j2d4sena
