FACT: LuYang Liverpool Arcade
LUYANG’S LIVERPOOL ARCADE
This Arcade Adventure is Art like Never Before
By Delphie Levy Jones
28th April 2023
Opening
today and here to stay until 17th September 2023, FACT’s foyer will home a
free-to-enter arcade, full to the brim with interactive art, pop culture and
anime. If you’re looking for something a little educational whilst you’re here,
LuYang’s work also sheds light on some pretty powerful themes. Based in
Tokyo, the multimedia artist combines fantastical and painful understandings of
human consciousness and ideas of the ‘self’, introducing you to Buddhist
philosophy, neuroscience, technology and the digital existence. Confronting
binary understandings of our body and identity, LuYang’s art combines film and
interactive gaming to provoke us to question reality itself. With it being
their first debut exhibiting solo outside of London, the arcade is not to be
missed. From Tuesday through to Sunday (11am-6pm) their doors will be open for
you to pop in, play and explore.
FACT
invite you to contact a member of the Exhibitions Team should you have any
questions or concerns regarding the prevalent theme of body horror within this
exhibition. Whilst this way of exploring the physical body and spiritual mind
can be intense, LuYang’s goal is to challenge the grotesque, playing with
boundaries, binaries and expectations to consider what ‘normal’ truly means in
contemporary culture. For those interested in gaming, sci-fi and the
contemplation of reality and existence, I can guarantee, this exhibition is for
you.
The
artworks you’ll find in the arcade:
Great
Adventure of Material World
explores human evolution and reincarnation through the lenses of cyborgs and AI
robots. They ask, “who am I, which part of this body is me?” and “is
consciousness merely physical or something more, does it die with the brain?”,
and through a playable game station, you could answer. (Emphasis on could
– that right there, is a lot to consider!)
Electromagnetic
Brain Control Messenger
transforms Japanese idol Chanmomo from girl-group Band Ja Naimon! into anime,
to fight an evil villain in (you guessed it) a dance-off! The kaiju genre of
Japanese film featuring monsters adds a comedic twist to LuYang’s exploration
on the control we have over our minds and bodies. Whilst we may get lost in the
immersive world of electromagnetic impulses, it is interesting to discover the
influence Japanese pop culture had on many Chinese artists of LuYang’s
generation. In an era of rapid urbanisation, consumerism had become more
significant in society than political events. Is Chanmomo fighting capitalism
in this film? There’s only one way to find out…
Cancer
Baby takes the
form of a space-invader style film (and game) to twist our typical views on
death and disease. That’s right, in this retro game stuffed with cheerful
tunes, we’re turning cancer cells into kawaii animated characters. Exploring
the impact of biomedical intervention on the brain and body, the question is
posed on what we consider to be a living organism. What is the effect of
humanising cancer cells? It’s a tough topic to consider, but it’s definitely
thought-provoking. With LuYang’s time researching biology and tissue
engineering at university, you can be assured that whilst controversial, the
art is intentional and provokes impactful discussions.
Material
World Knight discovers
the duality between the mind and body, connecting the spirituality of Buddhism
with the suggestion that technology can enable us to experience new ways of existing.
This 20-minute film catches your attention but leaves you asking more, with
many of LuYang’s other characters appearing in this universe – so keep an eye
out!
Delusional
World Hell is a
live stream recording with motion capture technology, featuring the dancer Qin
Ran projecting LuYang as a digital avatar. With distorted faces and disfigured
bodies, the art combines influences from all around the globe, from
mythological deities, to Manga-inspired mutants and cyborgs. The figures are
‘stateless’, shifting between genders and physicality to unleash the horror and
ecstasy when dominant social norms of the body are challenged.
Uterus
Man takes on
gender by combining the processes of menstruation and childbirth with the
typical attributes of a male superhero. Whilst the character identifies as
male, his power is the female reproductive system, which adds a feminist twist
on prevelant societal issues where men govern the female body and its laws.
LuYang themself states “society’s gender divisions are pretty absurd” – and it’s
certainly difficult to argue with that.
LuYang
Dance Revolution
collaborates with design studio MetaObjects to heighten our awareness of our
physical selves. With customisable characters, outfits, location and music,
players can step on the dance pad to control the on-screen avatar to – yes –
have a dance! (Are you sensing a recurring theme here?) Playing with the
concept of what makes a god, LuYang’s motif of self-creation returns, provoking
us to assess our own bodies and agency, whilst letting loose on the dancefloor.
-
‘You have to admit, musing about
the meaning of life is rarely this much fun.’ – NME
‘The artist really conjures
physical presence through a screen’ – ArtReview
‘It’s brilliant, complex, powerful, over the top, a bit silly, and genuinely moving.’ – Time Out
-
Links:
All works have subtitles, and transcripts are available here.
About FACT Liverpool
FACT is the UK's leading organisation for the support and exhibition of art and film that embraces new technology and explores digital culture. See what’s on this season: FACT | What's On at FACT. Find out more on the LuYang Arcade Liverpool: FACT | LuYang Arcade Liverpool Visit FACT and LuYang on Instagram: @fact_liverpool, @luyangasia
Comments
Post a Comment