Artwork Information

In 1995, Song Dong began the ‘Water Diary’ project to which 'A Pot of Boiling Water' relates. In these installations, videos, photographs and performances Dong writes with water, often on stone. Once the water has evaporated and traces of the script are removed, the stone upon which he wrote remains the only proof of his action. The writing is essentially ‘hidden’ from view, hinting at the artist’s cultivation of will and spirit. This method of self-revelation and self-concealment is familiar to Chinese people. 'A Pot of Boiling Water' was performed on a street in the old part of Beijing. To today’s audiences it records a vastly changing urban landscape.