In early 2020, for a special reason, I had the honor of visiting Elon Musk at his home in Beverly Hills. He was very polite, smiled, met my eyes and shook my hand, and offered to ask me what I would like to drink. He then turned on the fireplace himself, filling the room with a warm and cozy atmosphere. We started talking in such a relaxing environment.
Shortly afterward, he took me on a tour of the basement to show off his private collection - a staggeringly large arsenal of unique objects. During this time, his girlfriend Grimes (a famous Canadian singer) was pregnant. At the time, I created a photograph inspired by her impending labor, titled “The World's Last AI Robot”. It depicts an apocalyptic Earth, full of fire and chaos, with a manned rocket lifting off in the distance. In the image, Grimes appears as a pregnant warrior, holding a golden sword in her hand as she powerfully faces off into the distance. Her stance is evocative; is she departing, leaving, or preparing for battle or defense? Nothing is certain. And that sword is one of Elon Musk's weapons collection.
During the conversation, Musk mentioned the child's name - a peculiar name made up of letters, numbers and symbols - and laughed as he showed off the T-shirt with the name on it. I was impressed by this unique naming style, and it also inspired me to think deeply about the future of humanity and technology.
Inspired by all this, I created an art project about evolution, exploring the evolution of human beings from carbon-based to silicon-based civilizations. From single-celled organisms to jellyfish, to the evolution of plants, and the evolution of diversity from dinosaurs to humans, I collaborated with AI to create a series of works through video and post-production. These works were eventually designed into a deck of playing cards, each card representing a different life stage and meaning.
In this deck of cards, I tried to express the idea that the existence of human beings on earth is like a snap of the fingers compared to the long evolution of other creatures. Although this short evolutionary process has changed the face of the earth, and even brought about a disruptive impact, from a more macro perspective, it may just be part of a game in the hands of some “mysterious force”, just like a deck of playing cards whose controller is unknown.
In the center of the exhibition, I have placed an art installation: a broken arm with its fingertips touching a small leaf, a symbol of carbon-based civilization. This installation is inspired by the image of “God and Adam touching their fingertips” in Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. The distance, disconnection and dialogue between the finger and the leaf provoke deep thoughts about the evolution of life and the future of technology.