When Code Begins to Breathe: Pioneering British Art Collective Debuts Exhibition in Beijing

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When Code Begins to Breathe: Pioneering British Art Collective Debuts Exhibition in Beijing

The pioneering British art collective Universal Everything (UE) opens its first exhibition at Beijing 798CUBE in China.

Wandering through the darkened exhibition space of Beijing 798CUBE, light and shadow flicker like a breath. This is the scene of Future You: Code and Soul, the first exhibition in China by the pioneering British art collective Universal Everything (UE).

Using dynamic imagery, generative algorithms, and interactive sensing technology as medium, they create digital artworks full of vitality. This exhibition is around two core concepts of “code” and “soul”. The code symbolizes the technological logic that attempts to digitize human consciousness and behavior, while the soul represents the spiritual resonance that no algorithm can fully capture.

Immersed in the world of light and shadow created by the exhibition, what unfolds before you is no longer a reproduction of past memories, but a “future you” written in code encountering an evolved new self.

Visitors enter 798CUBE to visit the “Future You: Code and Soul” exhibition on August 3rd. (All photos by Ming)
Children watch the video work “Walking City (2020)” in the exhibition hall on August 3rd. As one of UE’s early masterpiece exploring dynamic abstract forms, this work creates a constantly evolving walking dynamic architecture, reinterpreting the symbiotic relationship between architecture and the environment.
Visitors interact with an interactive video work in the exhibition hall on August 3rd. Using motion capture technology, this work is capable of evolving into up to 47,000 mechanical forms to generate a unique visual response for each viewer. It can only be activated when someone stands before it. The more intense the movements, the more peculiar and tense the feedback will be.
Visitors view the video exhibition at 798CUBE on August 3rd.
A walking-shaped sculpture made with flowers is displayed at 798CUBE.
Limited-edition prints customized for this exhibition by UE are displayed at 798CUBE.
Photo shows the video work “Chameleon” on August 3rd. This work is a set of hidden virtual dimension images presented by the UE with a spatial installation added within the 798CUBE. The giant character wanders through the space, dressed in chameleon-like skin, which is adaptive and constantly changing with the textures and tones of the surrounding environment.
Cultural and creative products related to the exhibition are sold in the exhibition hall on July 31st.
A huge architecture related to the exhibition is displayed in the square of 798CUBE.

If you liked this article, why not read: China NCPA Orchestra Visits UK in First European Tour

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