Zhiqian Wang is an interdisciplinary artist who works with traditional Gongbi and Shanshui paintings, expanded cinemas, performances, and installations. Her current practice centers on examining and expanding our understanding of material reality through science, literature, and philosophy (both analytic and continental). Through exploring the limitations and potential of ordinary language, she investigates the conceptual foundations of rationality and knowledge.
Many of Wang's works implicitly challenge the theoretical foundations of Western civilization, particularly its reliance on binary separations that have resulted in recurring violence, conflict, and imperialism. Others of her works explore forms of knowledge that have been marginalized or excluded by the scientific paradigm, which prioritizes experimentation and falsification. By navigating phenomena from living systems to human interactions, Wang draws attention to what lies both underneath and beyond the Western-oriented convention that emphasizes progression and rationality.
Zhiqian recently had solo shows: “Twins, Twilight, and Apple Tree”, “Moonlight of the Twins”, “Red or White Roses” and “Earth and Jerry”, and a two-person show: "Capital Investigation." Her works have also been shown at The Jewish Museum, Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, ACT at MIT, and Harvard Medical School. Her AI films were officially selected at the Tehran International Short Film Festival (OSCARS® Qualifying), Tehran, Iran; Neu Wave AI Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA; Semi-finalist at the Czech International AI Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic; and Quarter-finalist, Türkiye International AI Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey. She was invited as a guest lecturer in the theoretical computer science department at Harvard University and has collaborated with scholars and researchers in different fields of science. She currently lives and works in New York City.