Exhibition | "A Grain in the Ocean" and "Brain·Sight" Debut at 2024 Shenzhen Design Week Nanshan Venue

On April 27, the 2024 Shenzhen Design Week Nanshan Venue: "Shenzhen Creativity · Technology Empowering Urban Innovation" officially opened at the Nanshan Museum. Assistant Professors Enza MIGLIORE, Marcel SAGESSER, and Mirna ZORDAN from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) School of Innovation and Creative Design were invited to participate in the exhibition, showcasing two research-based projects: "A Grain in the Ocean" and "Brain·Sight".

 

Exhibition View: “A Grain in the Ocean”

 

Work Title

A Grain in the Ocean

Designing the Future of Shenzhen: Technology and Nature

Lead Designers

Enza MIGLIORE (Assistant Professor)

Marcel SAGESSER (Assistant Professor)

Team Members

Materiality Research Group + Sound Research Group

Bai Yiyuan, Liu Zhaorui, Tang Zhonghui, Wang Simeng, Zhang Yaohan

Dong Bo, Huang Peihua, Ma Yujing, Xia Zichun, Zhang Zhiyi

 

"A Grain in the Ocean" takes Shenzhen as a case study, aiming to comprehensively understand our cities through a technology-based and speculative approach. This research involved long-term data sampling from three typical urban areas. The resulting database reveals how the material ecologies of our daily lives are shaped by a convergence of human, geological, industrial, and technological factors.

 

The exhibition presents an immersive space that visitors can step into: a large cube represents a single “grain” of the city’s material substance. Through data visualization, sonification, and the scaled amplification of microscopic matter, the installation offers a multi-sensory reflective experience, allowing the audience to comprehend the hybrid nature of the constructed world around us. By presenting the city as a dynamic assemblage and blending science with sensory engagement, we can speculate on the hybridization of urban matter and how it shapes the future form of our cities on a micro scale—starting from the size of a single “grain”.

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Brain·Sight Exhibition Site

 

Work Title

Brain·Sight

Lead Creators

Mirna ZORDAN (Assistant Professor)

Team Members

Xue Yuting, Zhang Xi, Yang Yunnan, Chen Chuison, Lin Shenrujun, Huang Jingfei, Xiang Qiuyi

 

"Brain·Sight" focuses on the intangible interactions between people and their environment in young, high-density cities like Shenzhen. Visual stimuli generated by the perceived built environment significantly impact how our brains process cognitive load and stress levels. The detection of biological signals, such as electroencephalography (EEG), has the potential to provide deeper insights into the reactive processes between the human brain and the architectural environment. This research explores the environment from different perspectives, going beyond what is typically perceived and seen by people. New technologies enable us to visualize spatial complexity—i.e., interactive systems—through data, revealing elements that are usually invisible to the human eye yet crucial to the brain.

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Organizers

Propaganda Department of the CPC Nanshan District Committee, Shenzhen

Nanshan District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports

Co-organizers

Shenzhen Institute of Urban Planning and Design Co., Ltd.

Co-organizers

Shenzhen Digital Creative and Multimedia Industry Association

Exhibitors

(Listed alphabetically by organization name)

Peking University Smart City Laboratory

COOBBY Digital Art Platform + Neixiang Original Art

Light Language Journey

Shenzhen International School of Design (SISD), Harbin Institute of Technology

School of Innovation and Creative Design, Southern University of Science and Technology

REDO｜Reshape

Shenzhen Phantom Future Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society (SIAR) Science + Art Joint Lab

Tencent Research Institute + CABLE

XKool Technology

 

The “Shenzhen Creativity · Technology Empowering Urban Innovation” exhibition showcases works centered on hot topics including “AI Innovation, Future Cities, Tech-Nature, and Social Humanities.” It invites local enterprises and universities to demonstrate Shenzhen's outstanding achievements in integrating technology and industry, highlighting the powerful application potential of AIGC in traditional sectors. Digital interactive installations and new media artworks visualize abstract concepts like AI algorithms and machine learning, enabling visitors to deeply understand AI principles and applications through immersive experiences. Featured exhibits focus on core themes including future urban development trends, enhancing residential quality of life, and caring for vulnerable groups. They aim to guide audiences in reflecting on society, fostering deeper connections between technology and social life.

 

Curatorial Introduction

Amidst the tidal wave of technological revolution, we are constructing a parallel universe: the realm of technology and the realm of reality. Nanshan, Shenzhen, stands as the convergence point of these two worlds—both a frontier of technological innovation and a model for urban development. Thus, exploring the theme of technology and the city at the Nanshan branch of Shenzhen Design Week is both timely and fitting.

 

So, what can technology do for the city?

 

Technology is the tool connecting us to the future. In this era of technological flourishing, digital platforms, software tools, and AI technologies are driving urban transformation and industrial revolution. In the cities of tomorrow, nothing is impossible—only unimaginable.

 

Technology is the engine of problem-solving. Our cities face unprecedented challenges, with urban complexities surpassing any historical period. Traditional paradigms can no longer provide effective solutions. Technological applications offer potential answers to these dilemmas—experimental and enlightening.

 

Technology is the medium that connects us. Physical distance is no longer a barrier; society's unknowns and uncertainties lie in our ability to perceive companions and the surrounding environment. Artistic, immersive, and emotionally resonant technology is essential—connecting us, and linking cities with nature.

 

This exhibition showcases “Shenzhen Creativity” and embodies Shenzhen's wisdom. Leading local enterprises, universities, designers, and artists collaborate to explore opportunities where technology meets the city, guiding visitors to deeply contemplate technology's value in urban development and its positive contributions to society and humanity.

 

The city of the future is technological, collaborative, and beautiful.