Liu Chuang’s newly commissioned video work, Wet Metal, is currently being presented at Uzbekistan’s inaugural Bukhara Biennial, entitled “Recipes for Broken Hearts”. The event is curated by artistic director Diana Campbell and commissioned by Gayane Umerova, chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. It features visual art, architecture-inspired installations, performances, poetry, and culinary experiences, and will take place from September 5th to November 20th, 2025.

Liu Chuang’s practice spans installation, video, and performance to interrogate the intersections of technology, economy, and sociopolitical structures. His works often delve into the hidden narratives of globalization and urbanization, blending personal histories with systemic critiques. Sometimes described as an explorer-artist, his poetic practice stitches fact and fiction together, linking together what appear to be seemingly disparate research findings into speculations on the underlying patterns of human civilization.

Chuang’s work explores how technology mediates human experiences, often highlighting how digital tools transform cultural and individual identities. This is evident in his installations that overlay human narratives with mechanical or digital processes, speaking to the tension between humanity and mechanization. His new film Wet Metal tells the story of two dancers, Ezoza and Gul, who use choreography to diagnose and heal embodied robots that have lost cognitive function due to interstellar mining.

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In collaboration with Bahor Ensemble (named after Mukarram Turgunbaeva) (Uzbekistan).
Commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation for the Bukhara Biennial 2025.

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Image and text courtesy of the artist and Antenna Space