Ecologies of Becoming explores the entwined realms of art, technology, and the deep connections formed through human-machine collaboration. Authored by the visionary artist and researcher Sougwen Chung, this monograph fuses an extensive body of work that probes the fluidity between humans and technology. The publication serves as a printed testament to Sougwen’s interdisciplinary approach, spanning drawing, performance, and digital fabrication which has been showcased at pivotal exhibitions and residencies worldwide. The book unfurls themes of hybridity, co-creation, and the transformative power of technology in expanding the boundaries of artistic practice. Sougwen’s explorations go beyond the canvas to include custom robotic co-creators, illuminating the potential of machines to enrich the creative process rather than serve as mere tools.

Through Ecologies of Becoming, readers embark on a journey through the artist’s conceptualization of art as a dynamic, relational process, highlighting their commitment to blurring the lines between creator and creation, organic and synthetic, art, technology, and Human-Machine Collaboration.

BIOGRAPHY:

Sougwen 愫君 Chung is a Chinese-Canadian artist and researcher, widely considered a pioneer in human-machine collaboration – exploring the mark-made-by-hand and the mark-made-by-machine as an approach to understanding the dynamics of humans and systems. Sougwen’s work MEMORY is part of the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and is the first AI model to be collected by a major institution. Recently, Chung was recognized as a Cultural Leader at the World Economic Forum, one of four recipients of the TIME100 Impact award, and named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI.

Chung has exhibited internationally at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Espoo; Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver; Art Basel, Miami; National Art Center, Tokyo; NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], Tokyo; ArtScience Museum, Singapore; MIT Media Lab, Cambridge; The Drawing Center, New York; The New Museum, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Geneva; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Mana Contemporary, New York; M+Museum, Hong Kong; Boston Art Center, Boston; Tribeca Film Festival, New York; Francisco Carolinum, Linz; Singapore International Festival of Arts; Pearl Art Museum, Shanghai; and the V&A Museum, London.

In 2019, Sougwen Chung founded SCILICET, a studio based in London.