Yuwen (E-von) Huang – SAIC Graduate Exhibition 2024

SAIC SHOWS 2024 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Graduates

SAIC SHOWS 2024 GRADUATE EXHIBITIONS

Yuwen (E-von) Huang

Master of Fine Arts in Studio, Art and Technology Studies

Graduate Exhibition One

yuwenhuang.3evon@gmail.com

Yuwen (b. 1997) is a research-based media artist, currently pursuing an MFA in Art and Technology Studies at SAIC. Her practice focuses on virtuality through different mediums such as video, net, installation, GAN-generated images and videos, blockchain, and creative writing. Drawing influences from Eastern spiritual traditions and philosophies, she explores I-Ching, Daoism, and Self-Cultivation. Eastern spiritual thinking and Western research-based methods are both important in her creation process. As she is interested in the interconnectedness of all things and their connection to our inner experiences, her art explores how technology extends our perception and expands our understanding of the things around us. Common themes in her works include nature, history, and identity as they relate to technology. In 2019, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Intermedia Art from China Academy of Art and her work has been selected for the Lumen Prize Longlist in the Crypto category in 2023.

Yuwen (E-von) Huang - The Missing Pig

The Missing Pig, 2022, Ultra short throw projector, 90*15mm Petri dishes, Trained StyleGAN2-ADA-Pytorch model and Pix2pixHD

Datasets were collected from different kinds of pictures of pigs online and terms for pigs in different languages. Those images online have been selected and filtered many times by human desire. In the experiment, the algorithm creates new images and a new language for pigs. Similar to LGM(lab-grown meat), it was created by technology without the presence of any animals, and it separates the concept of the pig from the context of meat. This work discusses the erasure of pig physically and their absence in our psychological minds.

Yuwen (E-von) Huang - To Be An In-circle Artist (After Jier He, after Alberto Greco)

To Be An In-circle Artist (After Jier He, after Alberto Greco), 2022, Interactive website, blockchain, NFT, creative writing

"To be an in-circle artist" is an Ethereum contract (released in Polygon) that has the potential for everyone to participate. Once they enter their name and their wallet address in the circle, their identity will be secured in Ethereum's blockchain at the cost of consuming computing power daily. It is a kind of decentralized authentication. Also, after they enter the circle, they can mint an NFT (Artist manifesto NFT) automatically as a permanent souvenir or proof of attendance. The work aims to establish a fair network that allows everyone to become incircle artists. However, the opportunity to enter the circle can be limited by the user’s skill set and background. So the idea of fairness is challenged and questions about privilege and access to technology are raised. Is this endeavor then as egalitarian as it was first intended to be with the street projects of Greco and Jier?

Yuwen (E-von) Huang - To Be An In-circle Artist (After Jier He, after Alberto Greco)

To Be An In-circle Artist (After Jier He, after Alberto Greco), 2022-23, Interactive website, blockchain, installation (3D printed object)

Yuwen (E-von) Huang - Artist Manifesto/Circle Archives

Artist Manifesto/Circle Archives, 2022, Creative writing, 1/8 in. cast acrylic, Letter size; Frames, 3pcs, 8.5 x 11 in; Color print paper, 8.5 x 11 in

Drawing a circle; Standing in a circle; Entering a circle

Yuwen (E-von) Huang - Artist Poem

Artist Poem, 2023, Interactive website, blockchain

"Artist Poem" is an Ethereum contract that enables individuals to define the term "Artist". Participants can contribute words they believe are associated with artists, and the contract will securely store their definitions on the Blockchain permanently. In theory, as a sufficient number of definitions are input by the audience, the repetition in the database will lead the artist manifesto to gradually converge toward a midpoint. However, before reaching that point, let's create first and enjoy the diversity.

Random Walk Memory, 2022, Interactive Interface
Random Walk Memory is a record of a city wandering of self-amusement created by the Artist. The work transforms the random graphic created by a one-line Basic program (10 print) as a random walk guide. As the artist navigate, the most prominent color, serving as the target, was captured and processed using Python. The record of the random walk formed a city palette and was stored on the website, inviting audiences into interactive exploration. The work addresses utilizing data conversion and storage, through the act of walking, offering a unique city perception and fostering human-machine cooperation that visualizes emotion.

My current interest lies in the intersection of blockchain technology and art, where blockchain serves as a medium for artistic expression. I am intrigued by the potential to seamlessly integrate blockchain’s characteristics into the fabric of art, contemplating the intricate interplay between the concept of art and the inherent attributes of blockchain technology. I seek to explore how the constraints and possibilities of blockchain can become integral elements of my artistic creations.

In my recent work, I am particularly dedicated to exploring the alignment of blockchain’s utopian decentralization with the boundaries of art where everyone is an artist, but reflect on the authenticity of such artistic freedom through the limitations of blockchain. Through this creative process, I reflect on the artist’s identity while also challenging the conventional notion which is everyone is an artist and questioning their place in our technology-driven era.

My approach involves blending creative writing, internet interaction way, and the unique features of blockchain technology to expand and reshape our understanding of the current digital artist’s identity. At the same time, I also use the permanent feature of blockchain to record the audience’s definition of the artist, poetically enrich the artist’s identity, and form the public artist’s manifesto at this moment.