21st Century Wanderer | Nov 8 – Dec 27

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 Chicago Art Department runs from November 8 to December 27, 2024. Curated by Gordon Fung and Yuwen Huang, this show features 16 media artists who based in 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 and performances. For further inquiries, please contact Gordon Fung (gfung@saic.edu) and Yuwen Huang (yuwenhuang.3evon@gmail.com).

Poster Design

Junfeng Zhang

Upcoming Public Programs:

Workshops: Nov 15

Mac Pierce-The Opt-Out Cap

Juan Flores-Capturing Movement with Water-Soluble Paper

Performance: Dec 13