Paul Wong, 2016
neon, glass, steel. 180″ x 40″
The Audain Art Museum, Whistler

No Thing Is Forever is a permanent public artwork commissioned by Michael Audain for the Audain Art Museum. No Thing Is Forever is one of two site specific works created for the inauguration of the new museum that opened March 12, 2016. The creation of the work required working closely with Michael Audain, the architects and engineers. No Thing Is Forever was created for the main entrance reception hall as the first work welcoming the public into the museum. It is contemporary work of art that nods to the past and references the future.

The English alphabet A to Z in cursive writing is rendered in full spectrum coloured neon, the word Eternity in Chinese is in white. The animated neon operates on a three minute loop. A to Z turns on for two minutes, at one minute Eternity turns on for two minutes. The work is mounted on a polished steel frame. The work puts together two colonial cursive written languages, the handwritten cursive form is rapidly disappearing and no longer being widely taught or practiced. These handwritten forms have been replaced by digital type. The A to Z alphabet are the 26 letters used to construct all words in English. Eternity includes all the 7 primary strokes used to construct words in Chinese. This work is created using two cursive forms that may well not be understood 50 years from now. It was intentional to use neon, a vintage form using early 20th century gasses and electric technology. The title No Thing is Forever acknowledges that languages, cultural practices and art forms are always shifting

https://audainartmuseum.com/