Neo-Imaginaria

Exhibition Abstract:

An imaginative mind is defined by its ability to form ideas, images, narratives, allegories, or novel associations with already existing physical and mental objects. Imagination does not follow the rules of reality; it exists within its own seemingly-unlimited multi-dimensional space that is largely dissimilar from what we experience in our material world. Scientific evidence proves that visual information “streams” contrariwise from the occipital to the parietal lobe when we see an object in the real space, versus when an image formulates inside the imaginative mind. Still, even though imagination and reality are dissimilar in form and function, they do affect each other quite often, especially when action and intentionality take place. The conscious understanding of what reality is (or how it should be perceived and experienced) can radically shift when imaginative artefacts are materialized and shared, which, in a sense, is a quality that belongs to the role of the artist.

With an average age of 22, the artists participating in this exhibition all belong to Generation Z. This demographic cohort is considered to be the best-educated generation yet, highly environmentally-aware, and as neo-digital natives, they are well-versed in defining and inhabiting digital and virtual spaces. Their presented artworks demonstrate a strong capacity in bringing to life imaginaria that consist of manipulated forms, images, technologies, accompanied with deconstructed and reappropriated symbols, structures, and media. The installation assemblages comment on societal issues, posthumanism, human and machine empathy, reappropriation of urban space, collective memory, as well as expositions within virtual and immersive worlds. The exhibition invites visitors to view these new media poetics that aim to redefine our experience by entangling content, meaning, and function.

The art exhibition took place at The Brownie Project (M50, Shanghai) and it included 10 participating artists from NYU Shanghai/New York (recent graduates from IMA and ITP), it lasted for a month, and it was funded by BCA, one of the most prestigious Chinese NFT platform.