Gai Qizheng, born in Qingdao,in 2001, graduated from the School of Urban Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
However as a young artist, is committed to engaging with the digital world.
His works often focus on artistic creation within the context of the internet.
Above all he is dedicated to navigating between different fields, with his work language typically involving interactive installations, graphic design.
Gai Qizheng aims to view certain global historical phenomena from a perspective that transcends national boundaries. His works primarily explore the phenomenon of future cultural integration. He considers in-depth research and practice as his primary working methods.
Chess
In his works, Gai Qizheng uses chess pieces as an artistic language.
while his exploration of the material itself focuses on researching and discussing the phenomenon of “cultural misreadings.”
Chess itself originated in India and was known as “chaturanga” at the time. It evolved locally in Thailand into Thai chess.
And to the east it developed into Thai chess, Khmer chess, Burmese chess, Malay chess, Japanese shogi, Chinese chess, and Korean chess, and to the west it evolved into Persian chess.
which later spread to the Arab world and then into Europe.
Due to different cultural backgrounds, individuals tend to interpret and understand the other party’s objects subconsciously based on their own culture and experiences, thus giving rise to different chess cultures. Different chess cultures are essentially different misreadings that can occur with objects like chess.
The imagination of others
In Gai Qizheng’s work, he has collected over 3,000 chess pieces from different civilizations, periods, and materials. By building a database and utilizing machine learning, followed by the artist’s own creative input, he has created over 20,000 chess pieces that integrate 26 different cultures.
Each type, shape, and symbol of the chess pieces serves as a cultural model reflecting the characteristics of the respective cultures.
In his work, Gai Qizheng sculpts 36 chess pieces and presents videos, as well as over 300 publications showcasing the generated chess pieces.
The boundaries between cultures are always ambiguous, leading to such a rich cycle of interactions. Gai Qizheng hopes to address the phenomenon of cross-cultural misreadings by adopting a global perspective and understanding.
Images and language, as the most important cultural symbols and mediums, mutually influence the fusion of cultures. They will play a crucial role in cultural integration and development in the future. Therefore, for artists, chess pieces serve as excellent language models, especially in the current era where information dissemination is accelerated through internet media. Fusion is an inevitable trend.
A global perspective provides us with a broader angle for contemplation, enabling us to better understand the mutual influence and exchange between different cultures.
Images and language, as cultural symbols and mediums, play significant roles in cultural fusion and development. Through artistic creation, artists can express cross-cultural understanding and communication. Chess pieces, as a language model, help people better comprehend and interpret this cross-cultural information exchange.
With the development of the internet and other media, the speed of information dissemination is increasing, accelerating the fusion between different cultures.
Cultural fusion is an unavoidable trend, and through art and other forms of creation, we can promote better communication and understanding between different cultures, encouraging diversity and richness in culture.
Sources
The exhibition and event “Underground and Contemporary Shelter” are currently taking place
PSA Shanghai Biennale x Qingce | Pichin Spectra: A Cultural Non linear Compilation Possibility