In his exhibition, Chen Yi refers to the Gaia hypothesis, which was developed by microbiologist Lynn Margulis and geochemist James Lovelock in the 1970s. Their hypothesis states that the Earth and its biosphere can be seen as a living entity; one that, when viewed from space, appears as a single animate organism formed by individual organisms in symbiosis.

From the Gaia perspective, Chen sees humanity thriving on the earth’s surface like lichens (Latin: lichen). Lichens are tiny symbiotic communities of algae and fungi that look like moss and grow on things like rocks, trees and walls. Analogously, humans evolve with the help of knowledge and technology, and also establish various forms of community. Chen asks where man stands in relation to the environment and examines the interactions weaving a web of coexistence between all things and beings.

Taking into account the increasing commingling of virtual and real space, in Berlin he collected samples in the spirit of Gaia using a cell phone scanner. Artworks are created with the help of various media formats taking up macro and micro levels: works that can be read like mutation processes of Gaia’s cyborgization.

Chen Yi (born Chen Chih-Chien, 1979 in Yunlin, Taiwan), studied at Taipeh National University of Arts. In 2010 he founded the artists’ collective LuxuryLogico. Chen’s exhibitions include ALC Videoart Festival 2021 (MACA Museum for Contemporary Art of Alicante, Spain 2021), Where Have All the Flowers Gone – These Flowers(MoCA Taipei 2019), Thailand Biennial (2018), Asia Triennial Manchester (2014), Asian Art Biennial (2013), Taiwan Biennial (2012). The artist’s website: yi-studio.net