Today we’d like to introduce you to Shuwan Chen.
Shuwan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am Shuwan, a visual artist residing in New York City. I hold a BA in Sociology from the Australian National University (2016) and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts (2022). My work delves into the connection between physical and digital spaces, objects, and experiences. I utilize digital data from an archive of glitched images to produce new photographs and sculptures, exploring the vision of the future through the lens of a glitch.
In August 2020, I co-founded the iidrr platform with Annie Ziyao Chen, a fellow artist and graduate of the School of Visual Arts. Our platform focuses on new media art and trendy cultures and is based in both New York and Shanghai. In December 2022, we expanded our platform to include an artist-run gallery space + creative agency.
Through our artist talk series and collaborations with contemporary artists such as Liu Xin, Wu Ziyang, Snow Yunxue Fu, Lucas Blalock, and Beichen Yang, we aim to provide a platform for young artists to showcase their work and share their experiences. Our mission is to uncover a more vibrant visual world and provide opportunities for artists at the beginning of their careers.
I invite you to learn more about us and our mission on our About page at https://iidrr.com/About and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/_iidrr/ and Bilibili Space at https://space.bilibili.com/219909759/.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a visual artist, my journey has certainly had its ups and downs. One of the main struggles I faced was bridging the gap between my academic background in sociology and my passion for art. I had to navigate my way through the art world and learn about the various mediums and techniques available to me. However, this journey has been extremely rewarding and has allowed me to bring a unique perspective to my work.
Another challenge I faced was in starting my own platform, iidrr, with my co-founder Annie Ziyao Chen. We had to learn how to run a business while also staying true to our artistic vision. It was a steep learning curve, but we persevered and have since expanded our platform to include an artist-run gallery + creative agency.
Overall, I am grateful for the challenges I have faced as they have helped me to grow as an artist and a businessperson. I believe that obstacles are opportunities in disguise and I am excited to continue my journey and see where it takes me next.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As an artist, I specialize in exploring the relationship between physical and digital spaces, objects, and experiences through my work. My journey started with an accidental data corruption incident that led me to discover the beauty in pixelated glitches. Utilizing the pixel, the basic unit of a digital image, and iterative processes, I transform file errors into photographs, sculptures created with 3D printing, and machine-generated colorful panels. The result is a proliferation of objects and images in a virtual environment, inviting visitors to manifest new digital forms.
My work has been recognized for harnessing digital archives and cutting-edge technology to investigate the balance between fragility and stability, machine-made and handmade, and traditional and alternative photography processes. The “glitch” serves as a generative force in my art, opening up new avenues for abstract form production and expanding my vision of the future.
In August 2020, I co-founded the iidrr platform to contribute to the arts community and provide opportunities for young artists at the beginning of their careers. The platform, which has since expanded to include an artist-run gallery space, a production studio, and a talent agency, focuses on new media art and trendy cultures. We work with contemporary artists to share their experiences through artist talk series and showcase their work, and we are constantly looking for ways to support and grow the community. My passion for the arts and my drive to help others is what sets me apart and drive me forward.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I had a passion for the intersection of art, technology, and sociology. I studied Sociology at the Australian National University and discovered how society and technology shape each other. Along with this, I developed an interest in photography as both an art form and a tool for social commentary. This influence is evident in my work as a visual artist, where I explore the relationship between virtual and physical realities. I use digital data from a glitched image archive to create new photographs, sculptures, and machine-generated panels, showcasing the connection between physical and virtual spaces, objects, and experiences.
To give back to the art and tech community, I co-founded the iidrr platform in 2020. This platform provides a platform for artists to share their work and connect with others in the field, and I work with artists to host talk series and showcase their work. Our goal is to uncover a vibrant visual world and support young artists at the beginning of their careers.
Contact Info:
- Website: iidrr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_iidrr/
- Other: shuwan.site
