An examination of the innovations in calligraphic art, Line, Form, Qi: Calligraphic Art from the Fondation INK Collection highlights experimental works of modern and contemporary calligraphic art made by artists including Lee In, Fung Ming Chip, Gu Wenda, Inoue Yūichi, Henri Michaux, Nguyễn Quang Thắng, Qiu Zhijie, Tong Yangtze, Wang Dongling, Wei Ligang, and Xu Bing. Works on view reveal the evolution of the pictograph, explorations of the relationship between content and form, the development of new scripts, and the abstraction of the written word. Accompanied by a scholarly exhibition catalogue, Line, Form, Qi is the second in a series of exhibitions of works from the Fondation INK Collection, a 400-piece collection of contemporary art in the spirit of ink that was promised to LACMA in 2018.

Contemporary art is not an isolated entity; its meaning emerges in relation to society, shaped through complex networks. Something that Meets on the Horizon explores desires, absurdities, and binary tensions within modern society, viewed through the artist’s cultural context and identity. These inquiries take shape as visual language in the realm of contemporary art. Though the destination remains ambiguous, the project serves as a living record of the artist’s ongoing search for selfhood in today’s world. The dictionary defines the horizon as: – The line where sky and water meet – A line perpendicular to gravity The horizon marks a space where nature flows ceaselessly, while humans stand or lie within it. This body of work centers on painting, incorporating objects, three-dimensional forms, figuration, and abstraction. At its core is a reflection on encounters with objects and landscapes that sustain equilibrium—keeping us from tipping too far in any one direction. The project unfolds through two series: Palette, Something and Black, Something Palette, Something This series portrays the horizon as a boundary where water and sky meet. Our lives are filled with objects—trivial, resolute, familiar. We may know their names, yet their essence slips away, rendering today indistinct from yesterday. These objects and landscapes are depicted using oil, acrylic, and mixed media. Black, Something This series reveals inner landscapes by enveloping modern contradictions in black—symbolizing depth, vastness, and the unknown. It explores the visible and invisible, seeking their inherent order and meaning. Textured surfaces emerge through layered media, while ink seeps into raw Hanji, creating quiet spaces for reflection on black’s materiality. Through these works, the artist asks: Who am I in modern society? Who are we? And why do we exist as we do? - Lee In