Future Humanity. A Cross-continental reflection on man and technology

An exhibition in Beijing, Seoul and Moscow explores new articulations of humanity in a possible tech-centric scenario.

“Until now, every technology on the planet has been developed, constructed, and used as a tool by humans. But what if technology progresses from a mere tool to a more or less independent companion, partner and colleague? What will it do, what will it decide and control? What role will technology play? And what role will we play? What kind of cultural effects will this new generation of machines have? And how can we avoid our dreams turning into nightmares?”
Hyundai Motor Company, Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing and Ars Electronica present their first joint exhibition project, “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, focusing on social and cultural dimensions of technological progress, and displaying 25 projects almost simultaneously, in the Hyundai Motorstudio in Beijing, Seoul and Moscow.

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Jifei Ou, Cillia, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Jifei Ou, Cillia, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Jifei Ou, Cillia, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Lining Yao, Paper Actuator, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Shinseungback Kimyonghun, Nonfacial Mirror , in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


DEPART, The Lacuna Shifts, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


DEPART, The Lacuna Shifts, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf  

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


DEPART, The Lacuna Shifts, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Isaac Monté, Toby Kiers, The Art of Deception, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Isaac Monté, Toby Kiers, The Art of Deception, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Isaac Monté, Toby Kiers, The Art of Deception, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Isaac Monté, Toby Kiers, The Art of Deception, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Mary Flanagan, [help me know the truth] , in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Iris Long, Cedar Zhou, Surveillance X, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf  

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Lining Yao, Transformative Appetite, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Michele Spanghero, Ad lib., in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Etsuko Ichihara, Digital Shaman Project, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Shinseungback Kimyonghun, Cloud Face, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Amy Karle, Regenerative Reliquary, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Amy Karle, Regenerative Reliquary, in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


Shinseungback Kimyonghun, Nonfacial Mirror , in “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet The future articulations of human in its relationship with technology, in the exhibition curated by Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie and Lee Daehyung.


“Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet”, 2018. View from Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing installation. Photo: Ars Electronica – Vanessa Graf

Performing plants, algorithmically generated and guided; cloud patterns materializing human and algorithmic bug recognizing non existing faces; “regenerative reliquaries” creating biomorphic structures where stem cells can multiply and create human tissue; robotized environments for the assistance to ending lives. The exhibition addresses the future relationships between humans and machines, the interplay of culture and technology, as well as the tension between tradition and spirituality on the one hand, and mechanization and rationalization on the other.

 “Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet” was shaped by three curators: Martin Honzik (Senior Director Festival/Prix/EXPORT Ars Electronica), Qiu Zhijie (Professor at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and curator of the Chinese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2017) and Lee Daehyung (Art Director of the Hyundai Motor Company and curator of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2017). The three different exhibition venues/environments provide therefore three different experiences and three different ways to access the topic of the relationship between humanity and its limits, between the idea of making something possible and the addictive strive to progress ceaselessly. 

  • Future Humanity – Our Shared Planet
  • Martin Honzik, Qiu Zhijie, Lee Daehyung
  • Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing, Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul, Hyundai Motorstudio Moscow
  • Michele Spanghero, Shinseungback Kimyonghun, Mary Flanagan, Memo Akten, Toby Kiers, Isaac Monté, Amy Karle, Lining Yao, Jifei Ou, DEPART, Etsuko Ichihara, Dan Chen, Long Xingru & Zhou Jiangshan, Wang Yuyang, Dent Hanbin, Zhang Sitian, Yangachi, ROOMTONE, LEE Jangwon, ::vtol:: aka Dmitry Morozov, STAIN
  • Beijing: November 7th, 2018 — February 28th, 2018; Seoul: November 9th, 2018 — February 28th, 2018; Moscow: November 24th, 2018 — February 28th, 2018