Humanoid Illusion

artist:

Yetong Xin

curator:

Huining (Haidy) Gong

In an era where digital technology shapes visual reality, how do we define the presence of a "human"? "Humanoid Illusion" transforms real dancers' movements into virtual figures through motion capture technology and Al, creating entities that exist in a liminal space between human and machine, reality and illusion. These humanoid yet non-human figures embody human motion while transcending biological constraints, blurring the boundaries between life and data.

This exhibition is an exploration of perception, identity, corporeal experience, and digital existence. The figures in the artwork are deconstructed, reconstructed, and reborn-are they extensions of human identity, or mere simulations of technology? When humanity becomes encoded, when the body is translated into data, do we still possess the essence of "self"?

Through interaction with these lifelike yet non-human figures, viewers experience a sense of estrangement and uncertainty, prompting them to question the essence of being human. When data can simulate every human emotion, gesture, and expression, what remains of the "real human"? This work does more than merely showcase technological wonders-it calls for a deeper re-examination of human nature itself. Perhaps, in confronting these humanoid yet non-human reflections, we are compelled to rediscover what it truly means to be human.

Humanoid Illusion investigates a paradox fundamental to our digital age: the closer technology comes to perfectly replicating human beings, the more ambiguous our understanding of humanity becomes. Perhaps our interactions with Al, data, and virtual entities are not merely exchanges with external creations, but rather continuous dialogues with reflections of ourselves.

artist: 

Yetong Xin