‘Eco-Lab’ explores interconnection, transformation and consciousness

Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie typically builds on the idea of ‘total art’ – focusing on harvesting ideas and meanings from various schools of thought through history. He is known for his work with organic elements from his earliest endeavours. Indeed, this introduction of natural material is critical to the purpose of Eco-Lab on display at Beijing’s Galleria Continua from May 23 - October 6, 2024. An inversion of common perceptions of ecology, the exhibition intertwines art and natural sciences to visualise the inherent interaction between the Earth’s ecosystem in all its complexity. Ultimately, it aims to evoke a heightened sense of environmental awareness, almost to transport viewers to a realm characterised by increased mindfulness of their surroundings.

Eco-Lab is informed by extensive research and conversations with professionals in various scientific realms. Deliberately set up to be reminiscent of a lab, the exhibit comes together as an arena of experimentation and a detailed exploration of our ecological surroundings.

Mirroring the simultaneity with which interconnected events exert their effects, Zhijie moves along the thematic arc of 'transformation, morphology,' as well as the naturally present concept of 'drying.' Natural transformation is visible in myriad forms within Eco-Lab, with exhibits like From Sand to Glass detailing the transformation that elements of the natural world undergo to culminate in a form familiar to us in our urban lifestyles. Viewers follow a path marked by contrasts, with the presence of flourishing greenery instantly juxtaposed by the decay of organic material, including wood and mould.

Zhijie illustrates the detrimental impact of the consumption of polystyrene by mealworms as well as the gradual manner in which the human body absorbs plastic waste. Glass Transformation, one of the prominent works in this art exhibition, is a powerful call to action, characterised by a pane of frosted glass that reads – 'the last thing an animal can understand is glass' – intermittently.

Zhijie’s distinctive jellyfish sculptures are a rather eye-catching element of Glass Transformation at the art gallery in China. One of four sets of experiments on glass transformation, these pieces of sculptural art are each coated with electrochromic film - a material that changes colour in response to viewers nearing the sculpture.

The interactivity of these elements in Zhijie’s work at Eco-Lab not only showcases a dynamic relationship between the artwork and viewer but also mirrors the symbiotic relationship between our urban bubble and the ecology surrounding us. Through Eco-Lab, the contemporary artist allows for insight into the impact of our habits on the ecosystem around us.

Qiu Zhijie’s ‘Eco-Lab’ is on view from May 23 - October 6, 2024, at Galleria Continua, Beijing, China.

(Text by Diya Rudra, Intern at STIR)