Events/Openings

MA LI: BITS EN ROUTE
OPENING 25 February @ 19.00
EXHIBITION 26 February - 27 March
@ Momentum Worldwide, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin

"Private Screening" - by Ma Li
OPENING PERFORMANCE 25 February @19.00-21.00

ARTIST TALK 29 February @ 18.00-20.00

More Info:
http://momentumworldwide.org/exhibitions/ma-li-exhibition/

MOMENTUM is pleased to present Bits en Route, an exhibition by Ma Li. This exhibition consists of two projects, a 13- channel video installation and an one-night-only, one-on-one performance.
The pervasive computer technology of the Digital Age is integral to every aspect of our lives. If technology has dramatically changed our perception of distance, time, and intimacy, what have we been missing? Or what have we gained? Urban life is difficult to navigate without social media, phones, apps, etc. Every step of the way, our personalized gadgets accompany us. Without them, one might even be lost in time and space. Where is our destination?

Ma Li, living in the hub of technological innovation, the “tech city” of San Francisco, was inspired by her work as an Uber driver. A connection between two people is made possible through the Uber app, creating a rather intimate atmosphere in the small space of a car. For a brief moment, Ma Li was part of the life of a complete stranger, who would chat with her, talk with a loved one on the phone, or have a conversation with another passenger. These interactions convey so much about the hectic urban environment we now live in.

These experiences are the basis for her 13-channel video installation, which includes sound recordings from inside her car: conversations of the passengers, navigational voice of Google Maps, and techno music. Creating intimate moments through these technologies, the piece also questions what makes us human by comparing the emotionless Google voice of the navigation system to the individual self-expression of movements by traffic police. In this exhibition, Ma Li continues her ongoing interest in creating an architectural language through a system of choreography. This 13-channel work includes elements of video, projection, and music to create a completely captive experience for the viewer.

For the opening night at MOMENTUM Ma Li will present "Private Screening" – a one-on-one performance – questioning the possibility of creating intimacy through technology. Join the artist for this unique experience!

Ma Li is an interdisciplinary artist working with painting, sculpture, installation and performance. Using both traditional and nontraditional media, Ma Li formulates dreamlike worlds influenced in part by her background in choreography and upbringing in a collectivist society. Originally from Fuzhou, China, She has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Shanghai Dong Hua University, and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute (2014). She has been awarded grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and Knight Foundation; a fellowship from La Napoule Art Foundation; and the Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Award.
She has been a resident artist at Recology San Francisco, Vermont Studio Center, Elsewhere Museum, among others. Ma Li has exhibited her work in a range of museums and galleries, including solo shows such as Gathering Among Stars, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (2015); and Seeing, Peeping, and Scrying, Alter Space, Peephole Gallery, San Francisco (2015). Group shows include Zhong Gallery (Berlin), A.I.R Gallery (Brooklyn), Gallery 825 (Los Angeles), SOMArts (San Francisco), and Root Division (San Francisco), amongst others. Of note is inclusion of her work in the Nion Mcevoy Art Collection and reviews of her work in China Daily, VOA, KQED, and other leading publications.