The Elastic Umwelten is an exhibition that probes how our personal and collective worldview is dynamically reshaped by the continuous integration of the technological paradigm. This noetic expansion results in the repositioning of the outer limits of our consciousness, alerting us to carefully consider the ethical dimensions and societal impacts of living within this ever-shifting post-human reality.
Via the lenses of emerging technologies, critical discourse, and creative practice, the exhibition focuses on highlighting pressing cultural, ethical and societal issues such as the evolving narratives of reproduction and artificial motherhood, the death of the Internet caused by automatic news bots, the digital shaping of ethnicity and cultural identity through social media calibrators, the expansive inquiries into what makes us humans as imagined by generative machines, and the examination of the cybernetic condition through the composition of provocative exoskins.
This diverse group of works is crafted to bring to light nuanced synergies between humanity and creative practices of emerging media and to spark a reflective dialog on how we navigate the relentless tide of technological progress, while questioning the boundaries between the organic and the engineered within an ever-increasing computational landscape.
The exhibition consists of selected works produced at Interactive Media Arts (IMA), School of Arts & Science, New York University, Shanghai.
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Exoskins
Yelena Ye (CN), Korrina Poindexter-Benbow (US), Tania Hartanto (ID), Xinran Tong (CN), Jiachen Zhou (CN), Hazel Dai (CN), Peijun He (CN), Jia Xu (CN), Zhiyu Guo (CN), Yasmin Pang (CN), Rainee Wang (CN), Jiayin Fan (CN), Feiyang Zhuang (CN), Ziqi Yan (CN), Jiani Yang (CN), Mia Zhang (CN), Yinyin Lu (CN), Huiwei Wen (CN), Ran Xu (CN), Younian Liu (CN)
Exoskins is a project that focuses on the creation of interactive wearables as a dynamic form of expression and offers speculative insights into the human condition. The work aims to extend the perceived limits of the human body and to provide commentary that engages with and reflects upon contemporary religious, social and political discourse.
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M(other)hood
Robin Xie (CN)
This work explores the impact of ectogenesis on motherhood, considering historical perspectives, scientific developments, and artistic interpretations. It aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of the evolving dynamics in reproductive technology.
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NeoHarmony
Denny Wang (CN), David Wang (CN)
This project thematizes the future of news reporting and in general the death of the Internet. In a fully-automatic setup, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Image Generation Models are used to produce an infinite stream of newspaper front pages, informing the reader about ever-different variants of imagined futures.
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Weird Creatures
Siwei Chen (CN), Haoran Wang (CN), Rebecca Xiong (CN), Nuo Xu (CN), Jiapei Yao (CN), Xinyu “Torico” Chen (CN), Wes Firestone (US), Michelle Hua (CN), Jinhe “Anny” Jiang (CN), Zoe Kalamaros (US), Cindy Liu (CN), August Wang (US), Jinyuan (Jack) Xu (CN), Neo Alabastro (US)
This project presents a framework for analyzing the human condition: from the superficial self to the emotional and affective dimensions, and the underlying mechanisms of identity, perception, and consciousness.
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Wenming Constructs
Phoebe Lemon (US)
The work explores “Wenming” (civilization) as interplay between identity, ethnicity and cyberspace. Often seen in propaganda and policy for economic progress, Wenming is also constructed digitally and corporeally on social media platforms like Kuaishou, where ethnic identity and cultural authenticity are circulated.
Interactive Media Arts, New York University Shanghai (CN)
Interactive Media Arts (IMA) is an academic community of artists, thinkers and makers dedicated to cultivating cutting-edge theory and practice within the field of media arts. IMA fosters interdisciplinary research and encourages critical and artistic exploration, while remaining committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive environment that nurtures creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. IMA exists within New York University, Shanghai (NYU-SH).
Credits
Curation & Direction: Stavros Didakis.
Selection Committee: Eric Parren, Gottfried Haider, Stavros Didakis.
Artists: Denny Wang, David Wang, Robin Xie, Phoebe Lemon, Neo Alabastro, Siwei Chen, Xinyu Chen, Wes Firestone, Michelle Hua, Jinhe Jiang, Zoe Kalamaros, Cindy Liu, August Wang, Haoran Wang, Rebecca Xiong, Jinyuan Xu, Nuo Xu, Jiapei Yao, Yelena Ye, Korrina Poindexter-Benbow, Tania Hartanto, Xinran Tong, Jiachen Zhou, Hazel Dai, Peijun He, Jia Xu, Zhiyu Guo, Yasmin Pang, Rainee Wang, Jiayin Fan, Feiyang Zhuang, Ziqi Yan, Jiani Yang, Mia Zhang, Yinyin Lu, Huiwei Wen, Ran Xu, Younian Liu.
Project Advisors: Bogna Konior, Gottfried Haider, Marcela Godoy, Stavros Didakis.
Supported by the Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Culture (directed by Anna Greenspan and Bogna Konior), and the Interactive Media Arts program, at NYU Shanghai (IMA Area Head: Eric Parren, Dean of Arts & Sciences: David G. Atwill).
Interactive Media Arts (IMA) @ NYU Shanghai | Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Culture (AIC) @ NYU Shanghai | New York University, Shanghai (NYU Shanghai)
