Foreword to the Exhibition "Wind Ringing"
— From Disenchantment to Re-enchantment: The Poetics of Intelligent Art
By Zikang Zhang
The intelligent revolution has propelled human development to a critical juncture of civilizational transformation, where the fusion of technology and art will serve as the key to unlocking the next stage of human civilization.
Throughout the modern era ushered in by the Industrial Revolution, contemplation on the relationship between "technology and art", "technology and culture", and "technology and human development" has remained constant. Max Weber, a founder of modern social science, held that the rationalization and intellectualization of the age are primarily manifested in the "disenchantment of the world", which can lead to the collapse of belief systems, rendering human existence meaningless. As Weber stated, "A civilized man, however, who is inserted into a never-ending process by which civilization is enriched with ideas, knowledge, and problems may become ‘tired of life'", and "the individual life of civilized man, placed into an infinite ‘progress’... according to its own imminent meaning should never come to an end; for there is always a further step ahead of one who stands in the march of progress. And no man who comes to die stands upon the peak which lies in infinity."
Benjamin’s concept of the "aura" of an artwork withering in the age of mechanical reproduction emerged against this backdrop. Beyond the loss of "here and now" uniqueness and irreproducibility inherent in mechanical reproduction, it also embodies a rupture in the relationship between humans and natural objects. When artworks, once stripped of their "enchantment", become mere objects fully conquered and controlled by humans, their "aura" inevitably dissipates.
In her reflection on Benjamin’s notion of the vanishing "aura", Liu Jiayu endeavors to ignite a new aura through her exploration of artificial intelligence technology in artistic creation. This exhibition showcases Liu Jiayu’s artistic creations over seven years since her initial experiments with artificial intelligence in art. It becomes evident that each piece represents a transcendence and breakthrough from her previous efforts, continuously expanding the boundaries of artistic creation through her explorations. Simultaneously, her reflections on the relationships between humans and nature, technology, and culture persistently permeate her work, resonating with viewers on grand themes such as human evolution and the civilization of space and time.
My first in-depth conversation with Liu took place during the curation of the Chinese Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, titled "Meta-Scape", where, as one of the participating artists, she shared with the curatorial team her creative concepts and methods. Her new media installations, created with AI, data visualization, and programming, integrate the philosophical traditions of Chinese culture, transforming cold digital elements into a quiet warmth that flows through her works. These creations, as representations of nature, seem to possess a life of their own, establishing an emotional connection with viewers and forming an aesthetic realm imbued with an aura of Eastern mysticism.
In my view, Liu Jiayu’s artistic exploration resembles a continuous process of "re-enchantment" of her works. Still, unlike religion, she imbues her creations with emotion and philosophical thought as their spiritual core. Through digital technology, she guides viewers to interact with her works, generating unique aesthetic values within the fluid exchange of ideas among individuals.
Published in the exhibition catalogue Wind Ringing, Zhejiang University Press, May 2025. ISBN 978-7-308-26194-4.