Ryan McCann “Lincoln Part 21.”

Summer has traditionally been the time to sit back, relax and – read! On the beach, or on the couch during school’s break. Wynwood’s Black Square Gallery has decided to honor this universal tradition with a group show of international artists called “Summer Reading,” with some exciting text-based works.

Calligraphy, hieroglyphics and cursive writing have always had an artistic element, in all corners of the world. In Islamic art, for instance, because figurative imagery is never used, the Arabic script has been used to decorate some of the most beautiful structures in the world. In China, calligraphy literally became an art form. Anyone familiar with the amazing Miami collection, The Sackner Archive of Visual and Concrete Poetry, will realize the tremendous power of text in visual art.

Patrizia Giambi “Writings.”

Black Square has brought together six artists from the U.S., Italy, Argentina and Korea who incorporate a variety of materials to create their works. One uses rolled up newspapers, another an X-Acto knife, another burns script on wood. Obviously, text-based art in its essence addresses how visual arts “communicate,” and here is no exception.

Black Square has communicated an interesting language itself since it opened up in 2010, with its owner and curator hailing from Eastern Europe and offering exhibits that highlight some of the works from that region, not a common occurrence down here in Latin Miami. For the most part the gallery focuses on solo shows. But summer is not only the time for reading, in the art world it is a time for group shows. When creatively thought out and executed, they work well.

“Summer Reading” opens on Saturday, July 14 as part of Second Saturday and runs through Sept. 5 at Black Square Gallery, 2248 N.W. 1st Pl., Miami; www.blacksquaregallery.com.