NULL-Object: Ding Shiwei, Jing Ao, MAK2, Vladislav Markov

Curated by Niklas Chou

DING SHIWEI

JING AO

MAK2

VLADISLAV MARKOV

In the context of computer programming, the "Null Object" represents a special state of absence—an unfilled pointer or uninitialized variable. The ambiguity of this absent state lies in the fact that it is by no means a simple "nothingness," but rather a clearly defined "emptiness." The concept of "emptiness," with its distinctly Eastern connotations (such as its metaphysical references in Zen, Buddhism, and Taoism), articulates social atmospheres, individual conditions, and natural laws, creating an unexpected resonance between computer science and Eastern philosophy. Much like the dialectical relationship revealed in the core Koan "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," the four artists in this exhibition—Jing Ao, Ding Shiwei, Mak2, and Vladislav Markov—address the concept of "emptiness" from different dimensions, including the body, digital ruins, virtual reality, and mechanical materiality. Their practices not only extend the exploration of "emptiness" and "negative space" in the history of Eastern and Western art but also imbue this grand proposition with new philosophical implications and critical reflections in an era dominated by technological optimism.

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