In his 1971 short story “The New Cosmogony,” science fiction author Stanisław Lem describes a new model for the universe: the universal phenomena and natural laws detectable to humanity are all the product of a previous universe’s operations and rules; “perfect nature” does not exist, because nature was also formed by this process. Although the feasibility of proving this hypothesis remains to be seen, Lem reminds us of an indisputable fact: “nature” is far more complex and mutable than we imagine, and time is not a linear forward march. As such, continued insight into the universe allows us to escape the limits of anthropocentrism. As one of the Earth’s many inhabitants, humanity has an ineluctable fate—the evolution of a planetary consciousness, one that transcends state, religion, race, and species. 

The exhibition “Space Oddity” brings together twelve artists and groups who adopt a more planetary perspective in their practice, including Alan Bogana, Cao Shu, Yin-Ju Chen, Chen Zhe, Chu Yun, Ohlsson/Dit-Cilinn, Hu Wei, Shao Chun, Anton Vidokle, Yu Bogong, Zhang Wenxin/Chen Xin, and Zhou Junsheng. They confront the dispersal of identity, a byproduct of the constantly accelerating operational systems of human civilizations today, and trace the formation of a collective unconscious. The allegorical works revolve around this pale blue dot in the universe, revealing our planet’s traumas and memories, hopes and disappointments. The artists explore various organic systems, transforming their individual experiences into strange objects of perception. Their works are a reflection on the operational mechanisms of our society and mark a new struggle against the frustrations of our limited knowledge. “Space Oddity” is curated by UCCA Director of Public Practice Liya Han.

About the exhibition

Dates: 2021.3.7 - 2021.6.20

Venue: UCCA Dune

Courtesy of UCCA.