ThingThingThing is an experimental collaboration between Asia Art Archive and artist duo ZZYW, formed by Yang Wang and Zhenzhen Qi. Yang was originally a graphic designer and Zhenzhen a applied mathematician. Five years ago, they started exploring the boundary between art and technology in their creative practices. They became interested in exploring the collaborate narrative aspect of computer coding languages, in a time where general usage of computer algorithms seems to be increasingly alienating and unimaginative. After almost a year of planning and preparation, a group of participants and the organizers spent two fun and action packed days in AAA’s lovely Brooklyn Heights office, learning fundamentals of video game development, and made a collective computational artwork along the way. At the end of the two days, the result was a film that generated its own plots in real time. A five minute screen recording was made to be included in the Screen Saver project. For more information, please visit http://zhenzhenqi.com/thingthingthing

ThingThingThing_V1.0Build
Artists and Technologists: Yang Wang, Zhenzhen Qi
Collaborating artists: Hilary Chassé, Jingling Zhang, Evian Pan, Sara Oliver, Jung Hee Mun

Making an art game is like daydreaming – one that we can go back to over and over again. Game Objects are external manifestations of creators’ spirits. When their creators are tied up with the reality of life, these tiny things awake in the wondrous space of “grandeur” (Gustave Bachelard, 1948) through the imagination of their creators. They twist, turn, wiggle, roll around, bringing together earth and sky, present and future.

^{Part of Unleashing Screensaver & Unleashing exhibitions
Apr 1 – May 31, 2018
concept & coordination: (c) merry
supported by PAF & Teachers College, Columbia University}