Special Exhibition "Bio Form - Tingqi Liu × IMT"

2022.04.08-2022.05.07
GREY CUBE

Session 2022.04.08-05.07
>Extended to 05.15

As a rare medium of contemporary art, biology carries massive information and the unknown. It allows us to objectively scrutinize the traces that human beings can leave in this era, viewing things in a dissociated way. In his past artistic career, Tingqi Liu has always upheld the concept of "capturing the invisible" and is committed to "exploring" the possibilities of de-anthropocentric artistic creation. His works cover everything from insects and mammals to plants, and even humans themselves, capturing glimpses of the biological essence or humanity he has perceived.
Biological science uses life and organisms to develop and produce useful products, while artists use this scientific experimental method to create a series of works with a new angle and an attitude of facing the growth of living bodies. This convenience bridges the distance between humanities, arts, and scientific research. Precisely because we live in such an era of blending, this exhibition will deeply explore the technology and concepts of Bio-Art, as well as its uniqueness.
The exhibition will include about 20 works, of which about 15 are by Tingqi Liu, including biological installations displayed in the Intermediatheque exhibition hall, photography, academic works, his representative works Ethics I & II, and other unpublished works. In addition, a "Laboratory Studio" equipped with professional equipment will be set up in the exhibition hall, where Tingqi Liu will hold a series of Bio-Art exploration activities, mainly for children.
In this stifling world, signs of recovery in communication between people have finally appeared. People are beginning to free themselves from the psychological and physiological states of being forced to keep a distance from strangers, workplaces, and acquaintances. This feeling is particularly strong when contacting artworks and exhibits in museums. Against this background, we hope that the museum—a place where people can communicate with each other and interact with exhibits—can become a stage to regain a sense of intimacy through biological mediums.

[Organizer] The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT)