Deconstructing Tradition – The Transformation of Mongolian Script in Contemporary Art

Authors

Unubaatar Irmuun (Yirimuen) Department of Literature and Art Studies, National University of Mongolia

Mongolian script, deconstruction, visual language, digital distortion, cultural identity

This paper explores the transformation of Mongolian script in contemporary art through the concep-

tual art project Words No Longer Words. By deconstructing traditional and modern forms of Mongolian script,

the project questions how script, identity, and memory confront changes and crises in a digitised and globalised

era. Consisting of four interconnected works – Textual Blocks, Vertical and Horizontal Crosses, Boundary Con-

straints, and Garbled Characters Everywhere – the project engages with the tension between visibility and

erasure, legibility and abstraction. Through visual fragmentation, cultural symbolism, and experimental use of

media, the project transforms linguistic forms into artistic expressions that reflect the fragility and resilience of

“minority cultures”. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from deconstruction, image-text relations, and cultural

identity studies, this paper positions the Mongolian script not only as a tool of communication but also as a visual

medium for critical reflection and creative resistance.

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