14th Shanghai Biennale Explores Cosmic Themes Through Diverse Artistic Visions

The 14th Shanghai Biennale, titled 'Cosmos Cinema,' presents a sprawling exhibition at the Power Station of Art through March 31. Curated by Anton Vidokle alongside Xiang Zairong, Hallie Ayres, Ben Eastham, and Lukas Brasiskis, the show draws inspiration from Russian cosmism, interstellar cinema, and philosophical concepts. Trevor Paglen's large-scale sculptures dominate the main hall, including 'Prototype for a Nonfunctional Satellite' and 'Orbital Reflector,' which critique space commercialization. Works by Jonas Staal, Nolan Oswald Dennis, and Tavares Strachan address colonialism, Afrofuturism, and indigenous traditions through cosmic metaphors. He Zike's video 'Random Access' examines digital data dependency, while Michel Seuphor's serigraphs reinterpret Eastern philosophy. The exhibition features nine thematic chapters, avoiding chaotic overload despite its vast scope. A dedicated room explores film adaptations of Stanisław Lem's 'Solaris,' including Deimantas Narkevičius's video with actor Donatas Banionis. The biennale notably omits contemporary Chinese science fiction authors like Cixin Liu, despite China's growing space exploration efforts. Anton Vidokle's own artworks engage with cosmist ideas of resurrection and nature regulation.