Slime Engine's Digital Exhibitions Redefine Art Experience Beyond White Cube
Founded in 2017 by Li Hanwei, Liu Shuzhen, Fang Yang, and Shan Liang, the Shanghai-based artist collective Slime Engine (史莱姆引擎) develops interactive digital exhibitions that redefine conventional gallery experiences. Their 2019 project, Ocean, enabled users to explore a virtual ocean featuring 103 artworks and was subsequently displayed at Shanghai's Theatre X mall during Wild Cinema (2020). In 2020, they produced Headlines, a work that satirizes media organizations, which was included in the open-call exhibition We=Link: Ten Easy Pieces. A second installment of Headlines debuted in September at Shanghai Plaza mall. Committed to creative sustainability, Slime Engine has partnered with various artists and institutions, with their next exhibition, Ocean 2, scheduled for November, incorporating new technological advancements.
Key facts
- Slime Engine is a Shanghai-based artist collective founded in 2017 by Li Hanwei, Liu Shuzhen, Fang Yang, and Shan Liang.
- Their exhibitions are interactive and gamelike, set in digital environments like dystopian cities and oceanic abysses.
- Ocean (2019) is a downloadable exhibition featuring 103 artworks in a virtual ocean, navigable via keyboard controls.
- Headlines (2020) parodies media with fictional content about the 'novel hookvirus,' shown at We=Link: Ten Easy Pieces in March.
- A second Headlines series ran from late September through November at Shanghai Plaza mall on a three-floor screen.
- Slime Engine's works are not for sale, shown in malls like Theatre X and Shanghai Plaza without commercial intent.
- The collective has collaborated with Chronus Art Center, Rhizome, New Museum, Immersive Art Gallery, ALL club, and MadeIn gallery.
- They focus on creative sustainability and community-building, featuring artists like Pixy Liao, 33EMYBW, and ChillChill.
Entities
Artists
- Li Hanwei
- Liu Shuzhen
- Fang Yang
- Shan Liang
- Pixy Liao
- 33EMYBW
- ChillChill
- Xu Zhen
- Lu Pingyuan
- Charlie Brooker
- Sarah Forman
Institutions
- Slime Engine
- Rhizome
- Chronus Art Center
- New Museum
- Art021
- Immersive Art Gallery
- University of International Business and Economics
- ALL
- MadeIn
- Artreview
Locations
- Shanghai
- China
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- People's Square
- Theatre X
- Shanghai Plaza