Paul Chan: The Shadow and Her Wanda

by Paul Chan (Artist)

This artist's book for children, commissioned by London's renowned Serpentine Gallery on the occasion of Chan's 2007 one-person exhibition there, will be equally delightful to smart, imaginative children and any parent with a even a passing interest in Western philosophy. With words, drawings and cheeky, smart footnotes (citing such diverse sources as Goethe, Nietzsche, Hegel and Google) by Chan, it tells the story of a young girl who is afraid of the night until her shadow shows her how the world can be transformed in the dark. Innovative and engaging--but not at all uptight--this sophisticated children's book introduces ideas about language, art and contemporary culture with a lighthearted touch that keeps you flipping through the pages again and again.

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2007

About the author

Paul Chan is an artist who lives in New York. A survey entitled Selected Works was mounted by Schaulager in Basel, Switzerland (April 11-October 19, 2014). His work has been exhibited widely in many international shows including: Documenta 13, Kassel, 2012; Before The Law, Ludwig Museum, Cologne, 2011-12; Making Worlds, 53rd Venice Biennale, Venice, 2009; Medium Religion, ZKM, Karlsruhe, 2008; Traces du sacrê, Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2008; 16th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, 2008; 10th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, 2007; and the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of Art, New York, 2006. Solo exhibitions include: My Laws are My Whores, The Renaissance Society and the University of Chicago, Chicago, 2009; Paul Chan: Three Easy Pieces, Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, 2008; Paul Chan: The 7 Lights, Serpentine Gallery, London and New Museum, New 2007–2008; Paul Chan, Para/Site art space, Hong Kong, 2006.

In 2002, Chan was a part of Voices in the Wilderness, an American aid group that broke U.S. sanctions and federal law by working in Baghdad before the U.S. invasion and occupation. In 2004 he garnered police attention for The People’s Guide to the Republican National Convention, a free map distributed throughout New York to help protesters to get in or out of the way of the RNC. In 2007, Chan collaborated with the Classical Theatre of Harlem and Creative Time to produce a site-specific outdoor presentation of Samuel Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot in New Orleans. Chan’s essays and interviews have appeared in Artforum, Frieze, Flash Art, October, Tate etc, Parkett, Texte Zur Kunst, Bomb, and other magazines and journals. Chan founded Badlands Unlimited in 2010.

Reviews

[SVG · Rating 5 out of 5]

i bought this for someone last year in london while visiting the serpentine gallery and by the end of the trip felt zero guilt in keeping it for myself.

easily the best decision i ever made.

[Kelsey Forkner]

I wanted to like this so much. Kids are capable of considering really big ideas if they are explained in a simple way, and I was hoping this book would be a philosophical delight for parents and children. Even if it didn't appeal to children, I would have been delighted to read a philosophical text packaged as a picture book. Unfortunately, I found it disjointed, lacking in depth, and not particularly entrancing for adults or children. I enjoyed the illustrations and the concept, and I think the title is perfect. This title did not reach its potential.

[Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This blows my mind. It's amazing....