๐ช๐ชต #woodtothewise ๐ฒ โฃ A decade ago, artist @yucefmerhi defined a system he called ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ. 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 (cรญtiฤ / ็ฃ้) using and arranging 1000 magnets.โฃ โฃ For ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ: ๐๐ข๐บ๐ข, 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 "๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐".โฃ โฃ 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.โฃ โฃ To produce ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ (๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ: ๐๐ฆ #๐น), the artist carved a piece of wood with the logogram that corresponds to the symbol for โwood.โ Merhi had the support of an archaeologist-epigraphist and a local carpenter.โฃ โฃ Yucef Merhiโฃ ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ (๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ: ๐๐ฆ # ๐น)โฃ 2014โฃ Cedar woodโฃ 17ยผ โจ 47 โจ 1 inchesโฃ Courtesy of the artist and The Bonnier Gallery, Miami, FL. @thebonniergallery ___โฃ #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
