Visualising the Inhuman: Ziqi Xu on Art, Technology, and Societal Critique 

In an engaging discussion with Cluster, artist Ziqi Xu reflects on his exploration of “inhuman” aspects of modern life, from systemic violence to the pervasive influence of technology. Xu’s work critically examines how technology reshapes human perception and interaction, provoking thought on the limits and consequences of the digital age.

In projects like B-HUMAN and Swinging Condition, Xu channels cinematic influences and advanced digital methods to create immersive installations that engage viewers in confronting the darker, often overlooked aspects of societal norms. For Xu, art becomes a vital means of sparking reflection on our increasingly mediated existence.

Hi Ziqi! You mention using art to critique societal norms. What does the concept of being ‘inhuman’ mean to you, and how does it inform your work?

This reflection on the concept of the ‘inhuman’ and its expansion comes from my thoughts on modern forms of violence. In my work Shooting, Death & Smile, in which I reuse family images to expose a ‘violent tendency’ learnt as a child through media technology, I borrowed the ‘ballistic’ look to create a set of works that have the appearance of a ‘triptych’. I borrowed the appearance of ‘ballistics’ to create a triptych of photographs with an internal narrative that revisited this relationship. In my subsequent daily practice and in my ongoing work Swinging Condition, I have gradually expanded this discussion of violence to include the systemic violence of installations brought about by global technological developments, and I have emphasised a certain destructive power of the artwork to stimulate the viewer's inherent inhumanity. I hope that this ‘inhuman’ vision will help contemporary people to rethink the technological space in which they live.

You critically examine the relationship between humanity and technology in your work. How do you see technology influencing contemporary art practices, and what challenges does it present for artists today?

Modern technology has been integrated as an essential part of contemporary art, opening up the possibility of interdisciplinary collaboration in contemporary art. From biotechnology to aerospace technology and so on. My own work also relies heavily on various digital technologies, from image capture to 3D modelling to mechanical automation. In my opinion, what I have to constantly reflect on as an artist is the danger of a certain ideological paradigm brought about by modern technology, i.e. a development based on the destructive power (threat) that modern technology itself possesses. Because technology is able to rely on this ideology for self-generation, and it is the moment when technology becomes uncontrollable.

In light of your exploration of human identity in B-HUMAN, how do you see the relationship between individuality and the collective experience within urban settings?

I once watched a very interesting documentary called Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, by William H. Whyte, in which people were wandering around looking for an entrance to a place, and the design of the space was influencing the way the collective treated the individual. From my own experience, I feel that the relationship between the individual and the whole always varies from person to person, but the collective tendency is to push each individual in the same direction. In contemporary society, the public space has gradually shifted to the network, which means a broader field, and the thrust brought by this trend will be more random and huge.