Virtual and Reality Dance Together: New Media Artist Huang Hsin-Chien Brings XR Works to MEET Milan for Taiwan-Italy New Media Art Exchange

The dance between the virtual and the real takes center stage as Taiwanese new media artist Huang Hsin-Chien presents his first solo exhibition in Italy, Living in the (Un)real. The exhibition opened on November 13, 2024, at the MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan, marking a significant milestone in the exchange of new media art between Taiwan and Italy.

Following the success of the group exhibition Blossoming: The Tech Art in Formosa in September 2024—which featured over 15 selected Taiwanese AI interactive, VR, animation, and immersive projection works—Huang returned to MEET in November with his solo show. Curated by the internationally acclaimed Julie Walsh, this exhibition showcases Huang's award-winning XR works, including a specially created interactive piece for MEET and Milan.

The Living in the (Un)real exhibition, under the leadership of MEET's Director Maria Grazia Mattei, officially opened on November 13, 2024, and will run until January 19, 2025. At the opening ceremony, Director Lin Tsan-Nan of the Taipei Representative Office in Milan, his wife, and Secretary Wu Ming-Hsueh attended to offer their support and encouragement to Huang. Many members of the local Taiwanese community and international students also gathered to celebrate this extraordinary fusion of the virtual and the real.

Huang was first invited by Maria Grazia Mattei to speak at MEET's The Media Guru event last year, where he shared insights into his creative approach to new media art. Later, during her visit to the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, Mattei was captivated by Huang's curated thematic exhibition, which led to her invitation for him to curate Blossoming: The Tech Art in Formosa at MEET. Building on this collaboration, Mattei extended an invitation for Huang to present his solo exhibition at MEET, further solidifying Taiwan's place in the global digital art scene.

Julie Walsh, known for her expertise in curating groundbreaking digital art exhibitions, selected five must-see works for this show. These include The Eye and I (a Taiwan-France co-production that won Best Film at the Miami Filmgate Festival) and Samsara, which was nominated at the Venice Film Festival and received the Jury Award at SXSW and Best Story Award at Cannes XR.

In addition to showcasing his celebrated VR series, Huang has created a new interactive work specifically for Milan, titled Shall We Dance, Milano? In this piece, the audience's bodies are transformed into the city's architectural structures. As they move, the buildings mimic their actions in real time, creating the illusion that the entire city is dancing with them. When the audience exits the screen, the buildings collapse, symbolizing the intricate relationship between people and urban landscapes. Huang emphasizes the significance of this work for Milan, hoping the immersive experience will offer both local and international visitors a fresh perspective on the city.

Through this exhibition, audiences are invited to reflect on the complex relationship between technology and humanity, question the nature of consciousness, and explore themes of memory, time, and collective identity shaped by modern political and social trends. Each work serves as an invitation to consider the interplay between large-scale societal structures and individual inner histories.

Milan, with its unique blend of classical and modern artistic allure, is an ideal setting for this exhibition, attracting art and technology enthusiasts from around the globe. Huang's international reputation and the power of his works play a pivotal role in expanding the reach of Taiwan's new media art on the world stage. This exhibition is designed to engage diverse audiences, crossing national and generational boundaries, and promoting Taiwanese creativity in the global arena.

Looking ahead, Milan will host the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the MEET Digital Culture Center plans to feature internationally acclaimed works during the event. Huang's collaboration with MEET sets a precedent for global digital art exhibitions, fostering international dialogue and drawing attention to the evolving field of digital and new media art.

【Living in the (Un)real】
Exhibition Dates｜November 14, 2024, to January 19, 2025
Exhibition Venue｜MEET Digital Culture Center, Milan, Italy (Viale Vittorio Veneto, 2, 20124 Milano MI, Italy Google Maps link)
Exhibition Official Page｜https://www.meetcenter.it/en/event/living-in-the-unreal-hsin-chien-huang/
Opening Ceremony｜November 13, 2024, at 6:30 PM (local time in Italy)
Opening Ceremony Event Page｜https://bit.ly/3Z46tyV