Hua Zhang 

"My art practice moves between kinetic sculptures, interactive installation and video. Initially, when experimenting with robotic machines, I was attracted by the accuracy when they shape flexible materials. Then, I realise that what I attempt to create is the moment when rational logic meets emotional factors and to observe how they affect each other." - Hua Zhang 

The practice of Hua Zhang moves between kinetic sculptures, interactive installation and video. To create poetic analogies that reflect on life and culture from different frames of experience, his work employs systematic structure such as drawing machine or robotic arm, and unpredictable matter such as liquid paint or wind force. Through arrange negotiation between man and machine, life and device, his works offer a chance to reconsider the relationship between human desires to our surroundings.

Shortlisted Artwork
Breeze

During the lockdown, Hua Zhang invited outdoor weather data to an indoor isolated space, trying to create a creature that could mimic and visualise the wind and keep Hua accompanied.

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Projects

 Drawing With Wind

 Wind vane, robotic arm, wind, drawing board
50 x 120 x 160 cm

The machine detects wind speed and direction, feeding fluctuant weather data into a robotic drawing board that moves, rotates and wiggles based on the live data. The artist attempts to cooperate with the apparatus, making marks on the unstable surface, and turning the invisible feeling of wind into abstract drawings.

This is a collaboration between Ashley Yuqi Zhang (@_z_yuqi_a.rt) and Hua Zhang

Artificial Intuition

CNC Mechanism, Strings, Straws, Sensor
100 x 100 x 120 cm

‘Artificial Intuition’ is a kinetic sculpture that communicates with motions. To be Installed in a corridor space, the artwork allows interaction with audiences intuitively.

Motion data is captured by sensors and analysed by an artificially intelligent algorithm. To communicate with the audience, robotic tentacles attempt to predict and block paths when people are going through. Synthetic tentacles tremble and wobble when the audience stands still, and the machine converts to an aggressive creature.

‘Artificial Intuition’ experiments with the association between algorithm and intuition, animated movements and rationalised methods of a robotic machine, in such a way, questioning the connection between sensation and reasoning

Stay up to date with what Hua is up to by following him on his social media