WHAT
Curated by Beijing-based curator, Yang Zi, this exhibition brings together the works of 11 Chinese artists, who explore the concept of ‘uncanny valley’, which was originally proposed by Japanese roboticist, Masahiro Mori. ‘Uncanny valley’ is the idea that a humanoid object that bears resemblance to a real person will inspire feelings of discomfort as humans will be able to discern minor details subconsciously that give away the fact that the object isn’t human. Each artist discusses this idea through a variety of mediums, from paintings to sculptures to videos.

WHY
The emergence of these themes is explored in the multi-media exhibition. These works endow the human figure with psychological, existential, and symbolic significance, combining an embodied intimacy with an intentional and specific lack of cohesion that stands apart from most art historical representations of the human form. The idea of the ‘uncanny valley’ also prompts the question of what it means to be human and what the human experience is like. Viewers might be inspired to think about the power of perception in human beings – something that is irreplaceable by artificial intelligence.