Gagosian is pleased to present Uncanny Valley, a group exhibition opening in Hong Kong on January 31, 2023. Organized by the Beijing-based independent curator Yang Zi, the exhibition features new works by Chinese artists Owen Fu, Jiang Cheng, Li Hei Di, Li Weiyi, Nabuqi, Song Yuanyuan, Su Yu-Xin, Wang Haiyang, Wang Xiaoqu, Wang Xingwei, and Zhang Zipiao.

The exhibition’s title is inspired by the theory of the “uncanny valley” proposed by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970. According to Mori, while a humanoid object that bears either a very high or very low level of resemblance to a real person will prompt feelings of affinity, one distinguished by a close but flawed similarity may instead provoke uneasiness and revulsion.

Uncanny Valley explores the emergence of these themes in contemporary paintings, sculptures, and videos by Chinese artists. These works endow the human figure with psychological, existential, and symbolic significance, combining an embodied intimacy with an intentional and specific lack of cohesion that stands apart from most art historical representations of the human form.

Gallery address: 7/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central