Hyundai Blue Prize Art + Tech 2023: Metamorphic Ecosphere

Metamorphic Ecosphere, the Hyundai Blue Prize Art + Tech 2023 selected exhibition concept from Zong Xiao, responded to the theme "Decentralized Reworlding.”

In an age marked by evolving understandings of the individual versus collectivism, and with science and technology capable of creating systemic change, there lies an opportunity for introspection and innovation. “Decentralized Reworlding” aims to seize this moment, encouraging curators to contemplate and challenge the socio-economic and ecological systems that define our modern world through the lenses of art, technology, and the humanities. The objective is to create solutions that not only account for the well-being of human-life, but all life forms on our planet.

Metamorphic Ecosphere presents the innovative work of ten emerging art collectives who explore the “voluntary” and “forced” metamorphoses experienced by humans, non-human species, and other elements endure in our tech-led landscape. Voluntary metamorphoses, employed as a survival strategy, sheds light on the potential for coexistence or even coevolution with “invasive” species. In contrast, forced metamorphoses center on the transformation of the planet's metabolism due to technological advancements and human activity. The exhibition invites viewers to reevaluate these metamorphoses and shift our contemporary relationship with technology.

In the words of curator Zong Xiao, the exhibition “urges viewers to reevaluate these transformations and contemplate our relationships with technology, recognizing that such reflections may serve as prerequisites for envisioning alternative social and ecological orders."