In the exhibition space, the Control Freak mechanical installation was set up by the artist and every participant who took part in the writing of the character ‘heart’ had their calligraphic products shown on the wall to the left side of the machine. A tailor made wooden rack provides five rows of space and 15 ‘hearts’ produced by different participants can be hung on the rack. Any additional ‘heart’ can then be layered in front of the existing ones, creating endless layers of the character and countless number of ‘hearts’. At the same time, on the right hand side of Control Freak, was Robert Indiana’s large scale (3M x 1.5M) graphic work with the simplified version of the character ‘love’ printed on it. Control Freak was located between the 15 hearts and the heartless ‘love’, using the calligraphic culture as a carrier and silently acting as a bridge that guided the audience to participate in the creative experience. When the three sets of works (the hearts, the robot and the simplified love) were viewed as a series, the works of the participants, together with the artist’ piece, seemingly added a heart back to Robert Indiana’s ‘love’. Playing with the differences between traditional and simplified Chinese characters, this addition showcased the meaning of the ‘heart’ inside the character ‘love’ and the importance of this element on the conceptual level. 

 

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