Sougwen Chung. Body Machine (Meridians)

The great ledwall on the ground floor of Palazzo Citterio a Milan, centrepiece of the Grand Brera, welcomes the installation of Sougwen Chung, artist Sino-Canadian internationally recognised for its research that combines performance, robotics, artificial intelligence e drawing. The exhibition, curated by Auronda Scalera e Alfredo Cramerotti, represents the artist's debut in Italy and is realised in collaboration with the National Museum of Digital Art.

Over the past decade, Chung developed sophisticated systems in which machines collaborate in its creative process, creating a hybrid entity called “Them”. Through the series D.O.U.G. (Drawing Operations Unit: Generation), the artist trained robotic arms from their own movements, generating a real-time dialogue based on interaction. In this new work, the investigation shifts to the concept of “meridian”, understood as the energetic and geographical connection point between body, technology and ecosystems.

The installation integrates data from body movement, environmental records and machine learning. A central element is the research conducted in the’Arctic, where the artist monitored the dissolution of the glaciers. Physically immersing oneself in water at extreme temperatures, Chung transformed the physiological data of his own body tested by the cold into a digital, choreographic language. The result is a dynamic system of light, sound and movement that invites reflection on the equal and transformative relationship between the human being and the machine.