AAAJIAO

Aaajiao, is the pseudonym of the young artist Xu Wenkai and the avatar of his virtual network. He was born in 1984 in one of China’s oldest cities, Xi’an, but now lives and works in Shanghai and Berlin. The composition of Aajiao contains a strong dystopian awareness and a profound reflection on literati spirits and sophistications. Many of his works are devoted to the exploration of cultural and social phenomena around the influence of new technology and media. These works, ranging from the social media writing and the data processing to the new aesthetic landscape through the Internet and mobile media, bring the special Chinese social media culture and technology the international art discussions.

The composition of Aaajiao also crosses different medias with its abundant number and forms. In 2017, he composed the video work of archives, Candy Wrappers, Progress Bar, Column, Candy Wrappers, and Lorem Ipsum; the installation of 404 Installation, Water Measure - Petroleum, and Membranization; the sound installation of Collective Behavior; as well as the Gif animation work of Avatar and more. Based on the online network and its visual and cultural phenomenon, these works are all attempt to explore the sociology and the visual and image morphology.

In the beginning of 2018, Gluttony as a new 1000+ experimental project will continue this clue in thousand plateau art space, and explore ‘how self as an observer gets along with the self devouring the pain through the gluttony?’. This new solo project, belongs to the ‘Membranization’ series–from the use of machines, to the collusion of machines, and even to be held hostage by the machines, there are subtle changes of human emotions in terms of facing the machines. It is unable to use these rotten fermentations of social media to record those changes, however, the combination of some materials clearly depicts the emotional contours, and the light properties of the material itself also implies the disguised emotions.

Aaajiao’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world, upcoming and recent shows include ”Art in the Age of the Internet, 1989 to Today, The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Boston (2018); unREAL, Haus der elektronischen Künste, Basel (2017); Shanghai Project Part II, Shanghai (2017); T_emporal Turn: Art and Speculation in Contemporary Asia_, Spencer Museum of Art, Kansas (2016); Take Me (I’m Yours) (curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Jens Hoffmann and Kelly Taxter), Jewish Museum, New York (2016); Overpop, Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2016); Hack Space (curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Amira Gad), K11 Art Foundation Pop-up Space, Hong Kong and chi K11 art museum, Shanghai (2016); Globale: Global Control and Censorship, ZKM | Centre for Art and Media, Karlsruhe (2015); Thingworld International Triennial of New Media Art, The National Art Museum of China, Beijing (2014); and Transmediale, Berlin (2010). His solo exhibition includes: Remnants of an Electronic Past, Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester (2016); OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal Xi’an, Xi’an (2016), among others.