The piece, in the form of a minimalistic wooden structure, consists of several main components: A covered table, Chinese rice paper, a Chinese calligraphy brush, ink, and a system of magnetism-based machinery. While the former four are traditional calligraphy staples, the latter provides an element of unpredictable interaction. Fixed underneath the table is a magnetic device programmed to move according to the four consecutive strokes in the ‘heart’ character. The brush, altered with magnets, hangs above the table and paper from a hinge. As the viewer moves the hinge by pulling or pushing a lever, they indirectly move the brush with some amount of control; magnetic forces between the hidden device and the brush then causes attracting or repelling reactions, which leads to unpredictable (though recognisable) ink strokes on paper. The current machine on display is the product of five experimental variations tested over two years.

 

As the four strokes in ‘heart’ are very simple, viewers can attempt to shape their writing better by anticipating the magnetic reactions over time. Non-Chinese language viewers can also refer to a printed writing guide on the wall. The processes are nevertheless always chaotic, as loss of control is inevitable; after much struggle, each viewer produces a unique piece of ‘heart’ calligraphy on a square piece of paper. The squares are then displayed as part of the installation, which grows into a rich collection of personal 'hearts', similar in form yet wildly different from each other. 

 

Apart from a refreshing look at the writing of a familiar character, such a challenging physical process subtly mirrors our universally lived reality of love and its many complex faces: Attempts at control and certainty despite uncontrollable circumstances; trial and failure mixed with anticipation and disappointment; surprising moments of frustration and triumph, to name a few — To try writing a perfect ‘heart’ with this machine is to experience intensely the ambivalent dynamics of human love and relationships, on paper and within the heart. 

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