The Synecdoche of Posthuman Theater — Group Exhibition
The Synecdoche of Posthuman Theater — Group Exhibition
Duration: September 7 – October 19, 2025
Artist: Jianhao Lei, Yang Yang, Zhenzhen Zhong
Curator: Anson Chen, Krish Liang
Gallery: Absent Gallery
Venue: Shop 07-09, Block 11, Zhuguang Financial Town One, Huangpu Blvd E, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, China
Prologue
Absent Gallery is honored to present the group exhibition "The Synecdoche of Posthuman Theater." Using cybernetics as an invisible thread, this exhibition adopts "synecdoche" as its methodology—where the part represents the whole, and fragments map onto the system. Through the artistic practices of Lei Jianhao, Yang Yang, and Zhong Huizhen, it constructs a speculative posthuman drama interwoven with the virtual and the real, delving into the evolving constructive propositions of posthumanist philosophy, as well as the processes of deconstruction and reconstruction of subjectivity under the intervention of technological objects, thereby critically interrogating the human-centric paradigm of subjectivity. From the perspective of "non-human actors" in Actor-Network Theory, the exhibition systematically examines the topological overlap of virtual and material spaces, the mutual domestication between technological objects and living organisms, and the mechanisms through which the "society of the spectacle" alienates everyday life— ultimately prompting reflection on the paradigm shift confronting traditional humanist frameworks in the technological age.
Chimera — Jianhao Lei
Jianhao Lei's work Chimera (2023–2024) constructs an experimental field where machines mimic natural forms through a heterogeneous assemblage of stalagmites, chemical solutions, stainless steel, and AI algorithms. The piece subverts the traditional paradigm of humans domesticating nature by suspending the machine-learning program’s preset aesthetic criteria (a metaphor for civilizational discipline). In doing so, it simultaneously unveils the subversive potential embedded within technological rationality and exposes the implicit violence inherent in machine-learning processes. When the "will to grow" of technological objects breaks free from human-imposed aesthetic norms, and when natural and technological processes achieve symbiosis on a material level, the work redraws the dynamic relational map between nature, technology, and culture.
Left: We Gradually Lost Our Emotions; Right: A Neurotic Town — Yang Yang
Yang Yang's work We Gradually Lost Our Emotion (2025) employs industrial plastic crates as a medium to explore the materialization and dissolution of affect in the posthuman era. The cold, synthetic material strips away traditional emotional attachments, while its malleable and stackable nature serves as a metaphor for the fluidity and reconstruction of memory. By assimilating organic symbols into industrial materials, the work presents a narrative of de-affectualization—emotion no longer belongs to life but is encoded within the physicality of matter.The plastic crates function both as vessels of memory and accelerants of entropy, inscribing the co-evolutionary trajectory of technological objects and biological bodies. They constitute a metaphorical expression of the shifting urban imaginary and the restructuring of human memory. Through the dialectic of indifference and trace, the work interrogates the survival of human emotion in the age of technology.
Clap Clap Clap — Zhenzhen Zhong
Zhenzhen Zhong’s video work Clap Clap Clap (2019) interrogates the presumed natural legitimacy of traditional body politics through the "genitalization" of hands. The work visualizes the theoretical proposition of "bodily discipline"—where, within the normative order, the concealment of genitalia and the unrestricted display of hands are constructed as the "natural" state. By inverting this symbolism, the piece not only exposes the socially constructed nature of shame but also demonstrates how the "society of the spectacle" manipulates the body through sign systems, revealing the mutable mechanisms by which power encodes social space.
In an era where reality seems to be unraveling, this exhibition does not offer a definitive vision of the future. Instead, it invites the audience to collectively interrogate the dialectical violence between nature and techne, to question the ontological displacement within the posthuman condition, and to reconsider the ways in which the self is constructed and humanity is defined—ultimately exploring new possibilities of subjectivity.
About the Artists
Yang Yang（b.1993）Born in Inner Mongolia in 1993, and currently lives and works in Guangzhou.
“My work originates from scrutinizing, counteracting, and transforming my experience with the society and everyday life. I value useless ‘labor’ in the process of making. I’m also interested in the relationships between the nature and individuals. sculpture, Using painting, video, Art installations, I try to settle and extend the reality I’m facing in my artistic creation.”
Jianhao Lei（b.1998）Born in Changsha, based in Beijing.
Graduated from the Affiliated High School of China Central Academy of Fine Arts (2017), China Central Academy of Fine Arts (Bachelor’s degree in 2021, Master’s degree in 2024), he explores the intricate connections between reality, fiction, materiality, and technology. His practice consistently revolves around the axis of technological system failures, constructing an ongoing dialogue between matter and technology. In his works, he frequently employs early neural network algorithms, natural minerals, plants, found objects, and even natural environments, showcasing a distinctive materiality and technological sensibility. Through experimental creative processes, Lei Jianhao continuously investigates how emerging technologies can expand the boundaries of perception and redefine the relationship between humans and the world. His works often manifest as dynamic, uncertain processes rather than singular conclusions. His pieces have been exhibited multiple times in international art institutions and spaces.
Zhenzhen Zhong (b.1992）Born in Zhuhai, based in Los Angeles.
ZhenZhen is an interdisciplinary artist who works in installation, kinetic sculpture, machines, video, drawing, sound, and photography. Her art practice and research deal with constructing semi-fictional scenarios engaging with a wide range of topics including body, identity, global south, technology, and the Pearl River Delta. She had her double person show in Double Double Gallery in Beijing. Her latest work Women at Work was shown at UTA Artist Space in Los Angeles. She has recently been a member of the Goethe Institute fellowship program AI to Amplify. She participated in the 2021 Huayu Youth Art Award(Sanya, China) as a member of the artist collective — "44 Monthly”. Her project Built at Sea was selected and exhibited at Power Station of Arts in Shanghai.