Unwritten Letters, 2024 Free-standing Sculpture

Unwritten Letters, 2024 by Dennis Lin is a work that seeks to preserve fragments of a past that feel increasingly fragile. In an effort to signal his presence amidst a profound sense of alienation, Lin has collected and tended to culturally and personally nostalgic materials to rebuild ties to his heritage and its culture, a connection made even more urgent by the geopolitical pressures threatening the existence of Taiwanese identity. From the fading legacy of his grandfather’s paper factory in Taiwan, Lin has reclaimed 8,000 kilograms of factory seconds, paper once destined for the landfill. In handling these materials, he reestablishes a connection to his family’s history and to Taiwan. Through careful manipulation, preservation, and presentation, the paper is transformed into sculptural works that strive to safeguard memory, history, and connection against the inevitable passage of time.