21st Century Wanderer
Nov 08–Dec 27, 2024
Opening: Nov 08, 2024 (Friday) 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Hours: Mon–Fri 12–6pm by appointment
Chicago Art Department, East Gallery
1926 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60608
Artists
Nimrod Astarhan, Chen Xin, Juan Eduardo Flores, Gordon Fung, Yuwen Huang, Jungsoo Kim, Yukyeom (Yuki) Kim, Yiyi (Yiyisogreen) Liu, Mengjun Duan, Mac Pierce, Che Pai, Ian Kang, Rhett Tsai (蔡宇潇), Vincent Tanguy, Yalin Zhao, Yimei (Emair) Zhu
We are thrilled to present 21st Century Wanderer. This innovative exhibition at the Chicago Art Department runs from November 8 to December 27, 2024. Curated by Gordon Fung and Yuwen Huang, this show features 16 media artists from France, Germany, China, and the United States. Their boundary-defying works delve into the evolving relationship between walking, arts, technology, and society.
Inspired by dérive, the exhibition reinterprets “strolling” in both physical and virtual realms through technologies. By encouraging viewers to reimagine urban spaces and the impact of technology on our daily experiences, we showcase a variety of interactive artworks that invite visitors to engage and participate—including custom-made games, detection devices, video installations, experimental video games, game installation, web-based works, kinetic sculptures, and performance pieces.
This diverse selection of media works explores how walking inspires and informs arts and technology in contemporary life. Chen Xin and Vincent Tanguy use custom-made objects to guide the audience in perceiving the unstable boundary between the virtual and the real. Che Pai & Ian Kang’s game work and Gordon Fung’s installation explore memories and existence through digital spaces, highlighting the fluidity of space and time. Yimei Zhu, Mac Pierce, Yukyeom Kim, and Jungsoo Kim, inspired by observing the city, invent interactive ways to reflect on social rules, urban landscape, and smart society. Nimord Astarhan, Rhett Tsai, and Yalin Zhao investigate nomadic identity, war, and history through symbolic wandering. Yiyi Liu & Mengjun, Yuwen Huang, and Juan Flores invite visitors to explore the playful and poetic nature of walking.
Join us in exploring the creative potential of walking in the 21st Century Wanderer show. Stay tuned for public programs, including workshops, performances, and activations. For further inquiries, please contact Gordon Fung (gfung@saic.edu) and Yuwen Huang (yuwenhuang.3evon@gmail.com).
Curators
Gordon Fung and Yuwen Huang
Poster Design
Junfeng Zhang
