XL Chamber

ZHANG Peili’s kinetic installation created during 2017-2018 work in this exhibition is a reflection to his recent encounter with the cruelties of arbitrary randomness and dysfunctionality we experience daily. He invites us to ponder and discuss current reality and relationship between individuals and the society.

Constructed with three jointed modules of rooms with ten shutters that close and open the spaces, the arbitrary movement of the shutters converts a normal, open and non-descriptive space into a confined space at any given moment. The algorithm governs the movement of the shutters, sometimes moving together, sometimes one by one, or randomly, which traps participants without any apparent rule or logic. The participants enter the room are engaged in the compulsory haphazard and random actions delivered by the algorithm which force them to experience the uneasiness of not having control or options.