Shih Chieh Huang, Synthetic Seduction 2013. Description: YBCA Installation View. Image courtesy of the artist
The Greater Reston Arts Center will present Synthetic Transformations, a dynamic gallery experience by multimedia artist and 2014 TED Talk Fellow Shih Chieh Huang, sponsored by Leidos and the Arts Council of Fairfax County. From Sept. 16 through Nov. 19, 2016, Huang will present an installation featuring interactive elements created from a variety of media including LED lights, motion sensors, computer parts, screens and mundane materials such as plastic bags and Tupperware. With these humble components, Huang creates magical, immersive environments, featuring sculptures that respond to the viewer’s presence with movement, sound and illumination. Inspired in part by phosphorescent deep-sea creatures, Huang’s work is a fascinating blend of art, science and technology.
Taiwan-born artist Shih Chieh Huang is well known for his innovative sculptural installations, which blend adaptive technologies with aesthetic and scientific concerns to create work that is multisensory and interactive. The artist's work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions both nationally, including in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and internationally in Australia, Asia and Europe. Huang is also a former Smithsonian research fellow. Huang's work will be installed at the Greater Reston Arts Center at the Reston Town Center, which will be transformed into a "black box" setting to accommodate his site- specific installation.
"Shih Chieh's work is an excellent fit for the Greater Reston Arts Center, which is situated within a recognized technology corridor. This exhibition establishes relevant and enlightening connections between art and technology,” exhibition curator Holly Koons McCullough said. “Perhaps more importantly, it inspires wonder and sparks the imagination, delighting the viewer with the artist's ability to transform the mundane and utilitarian into the magical."
GreaterRestonArtsCenter is located at 12001 Market Street, Suite 103, Reston. Tel: 703-471-9242. restonarts.org; info@restonarts.org.