God In Heaven & The Ants Ruling The Earth
Biomimetics, or biomimicry, is increasingly becoming a force of knowledge which is bringing practices and theories of arts and sciences together. Biomimetics can influence and inspire the creation of socially responsible art forms, with sustainable functional purposes for the environment and based on sustainable organic materials, that can as well originate and enrich inter-specific interactions. By nurturing the formation of bottom-up organisms inspired by successful models in nature with an experimental (and chaotic) application of self-organization, open networks for ideas and cultural interaction between living beings emerge. Hence, such a network becomes a system which could balance the artificial and the natural world in ways that cannot be predicted but experienced.
Kuai Shen was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He holds a BA in digital arts from University San Francisco de Quito, a ‘Diplom in Medienkunst’ with honors from the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, and he recently finished an interdisciplinary research in Game Design and Development at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne. He has exhibited in renown international media art festivals, galleries and biennials in Germany, Belgium, England, Slovenia, Italy and Canada, as well as participated in important European symposia (Laboratory Life in Brighton, Living Matter in Cologne). Kuai Shen has published his research with ants in a book entitled «Biologically-Inspired Computing for the Arts» from the University of Colorado and in the Leonardo MIT Journal for the Siggraph. His artistic approach to self-organization and emergence is envisioned in audiovisual installations that reflect on interspecies artistic collaboration with ants and the metaphor of a post-human ecology, an ecology whose future lies in the communication between species and the mutualism between technological media (human artifacts) and insect media (biological organisms). His current research focuses on ant mimicry in the post-biologic technology of humans based on post-humanism, resilient networks and mimesis.
Exhibitions
• Jahresausstellung der Kunsthochschule für Medien
Cologne, Germany – 12. to 14. July, 2007
« 1.ant.ity »
• Jahresausstellung der Kunsthochschule für Medien
Cologne, Germany – 15. to 22. July, 2008
« Scratching Ants »
• 15th ISEA: International Symposium on Electronic Arts, Ormeau Baths Gallery
Belfast, United Kingdom – 8. to 29. August, 2009
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• Beethovenfest, Bonner Kunstverein
Bonn, Germany – 3. September to 3. October, 2009
« 0h!m1gas: Scratching Beethoven »
• Glasmoog Gallery, Kunsthochschule für Medien, Solo Exhibition
Cologne, Germany – 25. to 28. November, 2009
« The Cybernetic Emergence of Ants »
• Share Festival, Museo Regionale di Scienza Naturale
Turin, Italy – 2. to 7. November, 2010
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• Laboratory Life: art-science production, workshop & exhibition, Lighthouse Brighton & Arts Catalyst London
Brighton, United Kingdom – 19. February to 5. March, 2011
« The Quest for Drosophila titanus » (Collaboration with Andy Gracie, J. Fenton und M. Walsh)
• Kapelica Galeria, Solo Exhibition
Ljubljana, Slovenia – 24. May to 24. June, 2011
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• SIGGRAPH 2011, Vancouver International Convention Center
Vancouver, Canada – 7. to 11. August, 2011
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• Interactive Futures Festival 2011: Animal Influence, Emily Carr University
Vancouver, Canada – 17. to 19. November, 2011
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• 46th Art Cologne International Art Fair
Köln, Germany – 18. to 22. April, 2012
« The metamorphosis of the heroine » (Collaboration with Guillermo F. Heinze)
• Beck & Eggeling Galerie Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf, Germany – 2. to 20. May, 2012
« Hypothese zur Entstehung, Sensorial Panopticum » (Collaboration with Aljoscha)
• Manifesta 9, the European Biennial of Contemporary Arts
Genk, Belgium – 2. June to 30. September, 2012
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
• 3rd Art and Science International Exhibition and Symposium, Beijing Museum of Science and Technology
Beijing, China – 1. to 30. November, 2012
« Playing with ants & other insects »
• 26th Images Festival, Interaccess Gallery, Solo Exhibition
Toronto, Canada – 13. April to 18. May, 2013
« 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment »
Lectures
• Ant mimicry in the post-biologic technology of humans
«19th ISEA», University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia – 13th of June, 2013
• Beware of the ants because they shall inherit the Earth
«Balance-Unbalance» funded by UNESCO, Noosa Bioreserve, Sunshine Coast, Australia – 2nd of June, 2013
• Ant mimicry in the post-biologic technology of humans
«3rd Art and Science International Exhibition and Symposium at Science & Technology Museum», Beijing, China – 2nd of November, 2012
• I Love Ants
«Kapelica Gallery», Artist Presentation – Academy of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 26th of June, 2011
• 0h!m1gas: Biomimetic Stridulation Environment
«Living Matter, Art & Research & Science Studies in Biological Laboratories», funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research – Academy of Media Arts, Cologne, 19th of July 2010
• Stridulation Amplified: on biomimetic stridulation environments and the use of bioacoustics as an artistic resource
«15th ISEA», University of Ulster, Belfast, North Irland, 27th of August 2009
Publications
• Kunstforum International, Germany, August Issue, 2012.
Interview for «0h!m1gas: a biomimetic stridulation environment» exhibited at Manifesta 9
• Biologically-Inspired Computing for the Arts, University of Northern Colorado. IGI Global Publishing, USA, 2012. Chapter: «0h!m1gas: a biomimetic stridulation environment»
• Neural Magazine, Italy, Issue 42, 2012.
Review Section of Artworks: «Biomimetic surveillance for scratching»
• Leonardo Journal Volume 44, Issue 4, 2011
Special Issue for Siggraph Vancouver 2011 – «Tracing Home Art Gallery» – pages 352-53.
Prizes
• Prix Ars Electronica 2013
Hybrid Art Honorary Mention for«0h!m1gas: biomimetic stridulation environment», Linz, Austria, 2013
• Edith-Russ-Haus Emerging Artist Award 2013
«0h!m1gas: biomimetic stridulation environment», Oldenburg, Germany, 2013
• Overkill Award – 26th Images Festival
OFFscreen awards for «0h!m1gas: biomimetic stridulation environment», Toronto, Canada, 2013
• VIDA 14.0 Art and Artificial Life International Competition
Production grant for «Bio-logicas Ancestrales: Yupana Emergente», Madrid, Spain, 2013
• VIDA 13.2 Art and Artifcial Life International Competition – Honorary Mention for «0h!m1gas: biomimetic stridulation environment», Madrid, Spain, 2011
• Share Prize – 2nd Prize for «0h!m1gas: biomimetic stridulation environment», Turin, Italy, 2010