Shadow Self – Portal to a Parallel World

Shuang Li

Shuang Li (1990) grew up in a small town in the Wuyi Mountains, with her computer as her only window to the outside world. The discovery of the band My Chemical Romance changed her life, and she learned English through online fan forums. Her work, which includes performance, sculpture and video, often revolves around fandom. In the video Déja Vu, Li reflects on her fluid existence between cities during lockdowns. In My Way Home is Through You (2023), she connects childhood memories of a Swiss castle, which later turned out to be a juvenile prison, with themes of imprisonment and nostalgia.

Charmaine Poh

Many contemporary artists virtually relive their childhood in their work. Charmaine Poh (1990) acted as a child starlet and based her video Good Morning Young Body (2023) on this experience. The character E-Ching, a deepfake of Poh's younger self, responds to public criticism. Poh addresses issues around virtual ownership and the Asian queer body.

Heesoo Kwon

Heesoo Kwon (1990) created the feminist religion Leymusoom out of frustration with patriarchal Korean culture. Leymusoom, a fluid entity between serpent and woman, is used in her work to blur boundaries between time and space. Kwon uses generative AI to reconstruct memories and create introspective fantasy worlds.

Xiaopeng Yuan

Xiaopeng Yuan (1987) creates new narratives within commercial photo shoots by combining models and objects in peculiar ways, prompting thinking about things outside the frame of the photograph.

Diane Severin Nguyen

Diane Severin Nguyen (1990) uses unusual materials and vibrant colours to create images that suggest wounds and fractures. Her film Tyrant Star is full of saturated images that seem to evoke a mysterious parallel life.