Jo Fish's latest exhibition at HdM Gallery in Beijing is a thought-provoking exploration of the tension between physicality and data in our increasingly digitalized world. The show, titled "The Speed of a Trend," brings together ten recent works by the New York-based artist, who navigates a fluid space between figuration and abstraction with poignancy.
Fish's practice is rooted in questions about painting as a medium capable of translating reality, and how this translates into the very sense of reality. Her work visualizes the passage of time and the evolution of artistic thought from the Renaissance to the present, fusing traditional technique with digital tools to confront the relentless circulation of images in modern society.
At its core, Fish's practice is an inquiry into what remains of the human body after centuries of art, science, and technology have reshaped how we see and conceive it. Her paintings become resonant documents of our time, exploring the tension between physicality and data in a world where everything has become digitalized – transformed into data and information that often matter more than the physical phenomena they represent.
Fish's approach to painting is rooted in post-structuralist theory, which challenges traditional notions of representation and figuration. Her paintings operate as a reflection on the structure of reality, how we perceive, translate, and communicate it through images and symbols. By using digital tools, Fish extends her practice into the technological age, testing the interplay of hand and machine, analog and digital, as a viable way for painting to exist meaningfully in a data-driven world.
One of the most striking aspects of Fish's work is its exploration of the human body. Her paintings often feature stripped-down figures that resist individualization, reducing them to stylized frameworks that explore the limits of human form. These bodies are not just representations but also interfaces between organic life and technological extension. The blank space in her compositions becomes a site of possibility, suggesting unseen movements a figure might make.
Fish's process is also noteworthy for its use of AI as a collaborator. She engages in philosophical conversations with A.I., asking it about the history of painting and how it sees the future. This exchange results in specific codes that Fish integrates into her work, creating visual aggregations of these conversations.
The show also delves into the technical individuation of the image, where perception, data, and matter converge into new hybrid beings. Fish's works do not merely depict the posthuman condition; they enact it through their coded textures and sensorial charge. These paintings invite a rethinking of perception itself that acknowledges the exhaustion of experience in the digital age and yet resists it through embodied seeing.
Ultimately, Fish's practice is an investigation into what painting can still be in the age of algorithmically driven sense of reality. Her works create layered mental landscapes that invite viewers to consider shifting relationships between observation, memory, and art. As a result, her paintings become a critical experiment in how we perceive and engage with the world around us.
Through her thought-provoking exhibition, Fish challenges us to rethink our relationship with data and its impact on our perception of reality. By exploring the tension between physicality and data, she invites us to consider what it means to be human in a world where everything has become digitalized. Her work is a testament to the resilience of painting as an art form that can continue to evolve and adapt in the face of technological advancements.
Fish's practice is rooted in questions about painting as a medium capable of translating reality, and how this translates into the very sense of reality. Her work visualizes the passage of time and the evolution of artistic thought from the Renaissance to the present, fusing traditional technique with digital tools to confront the relentless circulation of images in modern society.
At its core, Fish's practice is an inquiry into what remains of the human body after centuries of art, science, and technology have reshaped how we see and conceive it. Her paintings become resonant documents of our time, exploring the tension between physicality and data in a world where everything has become digitalized – transformed into data and information that often matter more than the physical phenomena they represent.
Fish's approach to painting is rooted in post-structuralist theory, which challenges traditional notions of representation and figuration. Her paintings operate as a reflection on the structure of reality, how we perceive, translate, and communicate it through images and symbols. By using digital tools, Fish extends her practice into the technological age, testing the interplay of hand and machine, analog and digital, as a viable way for painting to exist meaningfully in a data-driven world.
One of the most striking aspects of Fish's work is its exploration of the human body. Her paintings often feature stripped-down figures that resist individualization, reducing them to stylized frameworks that explore the limits of human form. These bodies are not just representations but also interfaces between organic life and technological extension. The blank space in her compositions becomes a site of possibility, suggesting unseen movements a figure might make.
Fish's process is also noteworthy for its use of AI as a collaborator. She engages in philosophical conversations with A.I., asking it about the history of painting and how it sees the future. This exchange results in specific codes that Fish integrates into her work, creating visual aggregations of these conversations.
The show also delves into the technical individuation of the image, where perception, data, and matter converge into new hybrid beings. Fish's works do not merely depict the posthuman condition; they enact it through their coded textures and sensorial charge. These paintings invite a rethinking of perception itself that acknowledges the exhaustion of experience in the digital age and yet resists it through embodied seeing.
Ultimately, Fish's practice is an investigation into what painting can still be in the age of algorithmically driven sense of reality. Her works create layered mental landscapes that invite viewers to consider shifting relationships between observation, memory, and art. As a result, her paintings become a critical experiment in how we perceive and engage with the world around us.
Through her thought-provoking exhibition, Fish challenges us to rethink our relationship with data and its impact on our perception of reality. By exploring the tension between physicality and data, she invites us to consider what it means to be human in a world where everything has become digitalized. Her work is a testament to the resilience of painting as an art form that can continue to evolve and adapt in the face of technological advancements.
Fish's show at HdM Gallery is more than just an exhibition, it's like stepping into her mind 
. The way she plays with data, physicality, and human forms is so thought-provoking 
. It's like she's asking us to question everything we think we know about reality and our place in it. Her use of AI as a collaborator is also super interesting - I wish she'd expand on that more 
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. The way she uses color, texture, and composition to create these layered mental landscapes is just masterful 
. It's like she's inviting us to step into her world and explore it with her.
. I mean, we're all so used to living in a digital world, but Fish is making us think about what's real and what's not 
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. I think we could all learn from her approach to art and how it can challenge our perspectives 
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We're so used to having all this information at our fingertips, but are we losing touch with what's truly important - human connection, emotions, experiences? 
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. Her practice is a testament to the power of art to challenge our assumptions, spark conversations, and inspire us to think differently 
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i love how her paintings blend traditional technique with digital tools 2 create these stunning visuals that make u think about what it means 2 be human in this crazy age 
she's literally pushing boundaries w/ AI as a collaborator & exploring what happens when data meets physicality 
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. And I love how she's using code and texture to create these layered mental landscapes 
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. It's making us think about some really deep questions about what it means to be human and how we interact with the world around us 
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and i love how she uses post-structuralist theory to challenge traditional notions of representation and figuration 
. Her paintings are like, visually stunning and emotionally resonant too 
. I love how she uses traditional techniques combined with digital tools to create these hybrid images that challenge our perceptions of reality 
... have you guys checked it out yet?