Expanded Animation

Expanded Animation, a concept from Siegfried Zielinski, explores how artists using new method and media bring life, or animate, non-living things using both cinematic and non-cinematic animated forms. The 4th Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale is one of the youngest events of its kind dedicated to the art of independent animation and continues to exceed expectations with its innovative approach and curation through new commissions and international and national collaborations—giving the format of biennale of the future.

Two simultaneous year-long academic collaborative projects between the Biennale and Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design and Sichuan Academy of Arts have produced 14 new independent animated works. Curated by Daniel Franke and Tang Yong these works by students and professors express and combine complexity, daily objects, algorithms, and local cultural phenomenon. At the Biennale their work shows the process, result and beyond.

Throw Your Shadows, by Swiss artist Augustin Rebetez, is curated by Holly Roussell. The never-before-exhibited, site-specific commission was produced during a residency in Shenzhen during May and December 2018. Uniting light engineering, painting, photography, sculpture, and noise, the work turns a stop-motion animation film into an epileptic full audiovisual immersive space.

Nam June Paik Art Center and curator Jinsuk Suh, present a series of works from the Nam June Paik archive in context with works by Ho Tzu Nyen, Xu Bing and Bruce Conner. June Paik’s Good Morning Mr. Orwell (1984) leads the visitor to think of early TV broadcasting systems and when put in dialogue with new works by Ho and Xu using found footage, and online data streaming evokes the artistic possibilities of secrecy and reality.

Finally, Yang Jing leads the Biennale into a new future with games and emotions. In her exhibition of video games, Co-Inhabitant, the interactive interface of animation allows people to explore minutiae of life’s secrets and the secret of the game.

The 4th Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale is produced by Li Zhenhua & He Jinfang and curated by Jinsuk Suh, Holly Roussell, Tang Yong, Yang Jing, and Daniel Franke, the screening program is curated by Cao Kai & Xue Feng, the archive is curated by Yidi Cao. With thanks to all participating artists and the people who supported us with a dedicated passion for art, and full belief in OCT-LOFT Shenzhen.