The myth of human nature

Tong Kunniao

Info: The practice of Tong Kunniao links different conceptual ideas through a collection and assemblage of second-hand and disregarded items (Objet trouvé). The works for the exhibition The myth of human nature at SETAREH reflect on the nature of humanity and the impacts new technologies and old mythos have on it today and how they may affect the future. Tong Kunniao depicts human faces, a representation of human life, intertwined with technological gadgets such as car reflectors, speakers or machinery. Mirroring the beginning of Artificial Intelligence and facing a near future in which transhumanism could be a characteristic of what now is called normal. The hybrid figures are juxtaposed with elements of ancient Chinese mythology. The introduction of specific symbols, such as birds, flowers, etc., give meaning to a previous way of understanding the world and through them, the artist presents the viewer with questions about consciousness and identity.