Exhibition poster
On June 22, 2024, the group exhibition "Marginal Stage: Exploration of Perception, Existential and Technological Consciousness" opened at the Shanzhongtian Art Center in the 798 Art District. The exhibition is the result of curator Nataline Colonnello's years of research in the fields of art history, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and neuroart, and delves into the implications and implications of these fields in terms of machine learning and new media.
Installation view of "The Edge Stage: Explorations of Perception, Being, and Technological Consciousness", Yamanaka Tian Art Center, 2024.
The exhibition invites six artists from different countries, across generations and disciplines—Fan Ranran, Lu Minglong, Johanna Reich, Juergen Staack, Wang Tuo, and Xie Nanxing—to interpret their creations and explore the human-machine relationship and the meaning of their existence.
Installation view of "The Edge Stage: Explorations of Perception, Being, and Technological Consciousness", Yamanaka Tian Art Center, 2024.
On the opening day, curator Xiao Ling and the artist conducted a guided tour and held an academic forum with the theme of "Perception, Presence and Technological Awareness: Multidisciplinary Exchange and Dialogue". In addition, artists Fan Ranran and Jürgen Stark perform site-specific performances.
Installation view of "The Edge Stage: Explorations of Perception, Being, and Technological Consciousness", Yamanaka Tian Art Center, 2024.
Opening Forum
With the theme of "Perception, Presence and Technological Awareness: Multidisciplinary Exchange and Dialogue", curator Xiao Ling invited four participating artists, Fan Ranran, Johannah Reich, Jürgen Stark, Xie Nanxing, and Yang Nianci, Cultural Counsellor of the German Embassy in China, to exchange the core of the exhibition, artistic techniques and the various perspectives of the representatives, and deeply explore the practical significance of the human-machine relationship and the evolving nature of consciousness in the digital age.
Yang Nianci, Cultural Counsellor of the German Embassy in China, said that in the past few years, China and Germany have maintained very close exchanges and communication in cultural exchanges, and hopes that through the works of German artists Johanna Reich and Jürgen Stark, more dialogues and exchanges can be generated with Chinese audiences and promote the progress of Sino-German cultural relations.
Yang Nianci, Cultural Counsellor of the German Embassy in Beijing, "The Edge Stage: An Exploration of Perception, Presence and Technological Consciousness", Shan Zhongtian Art Center, 2024.
Curator Nataline Colonnello, "The Edge Stage: Exploration of Perception, Existence, and Technological Consciousness", Forum Set, Yamanaka Art Center, 2024.
Curator Xiao Ling said that we are currently living in an era of symbiosis between humans and machines, and hopes to explore through the exhibition, such as "How does the human brain connect?" How do you learn, store, and process information? "With the advancement of technology, how do the neuronal circuits in the brain evolve and develop? "In the current era of instant digital connectivity and rapid change (VUCA environment), how will individual and collective identities shift? and other multi-angle questions, so as to arouse the audience's thinking.
At the same time, artist Fan Ranran combined the installation "Choke" to elaborate on the question of "assuming that machines have consciousness, how do they view humans". Artist Johanna Reich, as a synesthete, interprets the work Hynitha | Joril Sarinan tells the audience how he sees the collaboration between man and machine and creates with it.
Artist Fan Ranran, "The Edge Stage: Exploration of Perception, Existence, and Technological Consciousness", Forum Attraction, Shan Zhongtian Art Center, 2024.
Artist Johanna Reich, "The Edge Stage: An Exploration of Perception, Being, and Technological Consciousness" Forum Set, Yamanaka Tian Art Center, 2024.
In addition to the discussion of technological creation, artist Xie Nanxing used the paintings "Postcard No.6" and "Postcard No.9" created by traditional media as examples to explain the reasons for his insistence on non-AI creation from an artificial perspective. While continuing the artificial creation, the artist Jürgen Stark presents the audience with the concept of the performance work Communication Model 04 - Chinese Whispers, which presents the audience with the instantaneous existence and related changes in the transmission of information.
Artist Xie Nanxing, "The Edge Stage: An Exploration of Perception, Existence, and Technological Consciousness", Shan Zhongtian Art Center, 2024.
Juergen Staack, "The Edge Stage: An Exploration of Perception, Being, and Technological Consciousness", Forum At-Tribute, Yamanaka Tian Art Center, 2024.
Performance art performance
After the forum, artists Fan Ranran and Jürgen Stark respectively performed site-specific performances to interpret the core of the works to the audience in a more in-depth and comprehensive way, and the audience actively participated in the work to understand the "human-computer relationship" covered in the work in a way that could be experienced first-hand, and to make their own interpretations of the text language, visual language, programming language and information processing misreading and blankness.
Artist Fan Ranran performance at the performance, Shan Zhongtian Art Center, 2024.
In the front corridor of the work "Chok", yellow blessing notes printed with special words are hung on both sides, and the audience gathers in the center of the corridor, the artist Fan Ranran performs a performance art performance surrounded by the audience, her palms are stained with red ink, shuttle through the work space according to a certain pattern, and randomly puncture and tear the cloth of special materials, revealing the art installation to pick up the yellow "amulet" next to her, and give the "talisman" to the audience as a gift.
Artist Juergen Staack performance set, Mountain Sky Art Center, 2024.
Jürgen Stark's performance "Communication Model 04 – Microphone" was completed by 12 volunteers and the audience. In the pure white space, 12 volunteers dressed in black sat in front of white tables and chairs, waiting for the audience to pass their words to them through text slips, and after receiving the language, the volunteers passed it to other volunteers according to their personal understanding, and after understanding on the 12th floor, they output a piece of paper with the original text and the final text to the audience.
Preview of the forum
During the exhibition, Yamanaka Art Center will also host a series of in-person and online dialogues around the exhibition, inviting artists to interact with each other, as well as with curators and invited guests from the art world, academia, and other professional fields.
July Forum (the specific time is subject to the official notice)
Theme: Unraveling the Mystery of the Mind: Psychological Perspectives in Contemporary Art
Address: Yamanaka Tian Art Center
嘉宾:策展人箫岭(Nataline Colonel),艺术家范冉冉、王拓、谢南星,心理学家秦晓洁
Content: The forum will delve into the psychological aspects of the works on display and how they reflect or trigger introspection, self-awareness, and the exploration of the human psyche. Discussions may touch on topics such as identity, perception, emotion, and the unconscious, and participants will share their perspectives on the role of art in understanding and expressing mental states.
August Forum (the specific time is subject to the official notice)
Theme: Beyond the Screen: The Convergence of Visions of Artificial Intelligence, Imagery, and Art
Address: Goethe-Institut at the German Cultural Center Beijing
嘉宾:策展人箫岭(Nataline Colonnello),艺术家乔汉娜·赖希(Johanna Reich)、于尔根·斯塔克(Juergen Staack)、王拓,北京德国文化中心·歌德学院院长欧彬(Robin Mallick),北京格林科恩管理咨询有限公司管理合伙人安东(Tom Van Dillen)
Content: The forum focused on the impact of artificial intelligence and imaging technology on contemporary art practice. Topics included the integration of artificial intelligence in the process of artistic creation, the use of video as a medium to explore technological awareness, and the future direction of art in the digital realm. Panelists will share their unique insights and perspectives on the intersection of technology and art.
About Yamanaka Art Center:
Shanzhongtian Art Center is located in the 751 Art District of Chaoyang District, Beijing. It is committed to building an influential research-oriented experimental art museum for young artists, holding a series of high-level exhibitions, lectures, educational activities and brand cooperation projects every year, and actively participating in various art public welfare activities. It aims to create a platform for art exchange and creation based on art education and supported by young artists, and provide rich and diverse artistic experience and educational resources for the society. Designed by renowned architect Jin Qiuye, Yamanaka Sky Art Center is a complex that blends contemporary art and architectural art. In addition to the main exhibition hall, there are also facilities such as a co-creation space for young artists, an art spin-off space, a multi-purpose hall, and a café.