Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A Book from the Sky is a mixed-media installation created by Chinese artist Xu Bing in the late 1980s. It consists of handmade books and scrolls filled with thousands of illegible characters that resemble traditional Chinese calligraphy.
Calligraphy is an artistic form of handwriting or lettering. In A Book from the Sky, Xu Bing uses calligraphic characters that are visually appealing but have no actual meaning.
Conceptual art is an art movement where the idea or concept behind the artwork takes precedence over its physical form. A Book from the Sky challenges traditional notions of language and communication within conceptual art.