Sougwen Chung: Artist Spotlight

  • Sougwen Chung
  • Sougwen Chung

    Sougwen Chung

    Sougwen 愫君 Chung is a Chinese-Canadian artist and researcher, and is the founder and artistic director of Scilicet, a London-based studio exploring human & non-human collaboration. Chung is a former research fellow at MIT’s Media Lab and is considered a pioneer in the field of human-machine collaboration – exploring the mark-made-by-hand and the mark-made-by-machine as an approach to understanding the dynamics of humans and systems. 

     

    Sougwen Chung received the Lumen Prize for Art in Technology, was an inaugural E.A.T. Artist in Residence in partnership with New Museum and Bell Labs, was awarded a commission for project Omnia per Omnia, was the Japan Media Arts recipient of the Excellence Award for Drawing Operations, and more recently has been awarded by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in AI, while also receiving their TIME Impact 2024 award and speaking at World Economic Forum Davos.

    Additionally, Sougwen Chung has been awarded Artist in Residence positions at The Arctic Circle, Google, Studio Wayne McGregor, Laurenz Haus Basel, Eyebeam, Japan Media Arts, and Pier 9 Autodesk.

     

  • Works on Canvas

    • Sougwen Chung Study 31, 2024 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 65 x 58 cm 25 5/8 x 22 7/8 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 31, 2024
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      65 x 58 cm
      25 5/8 x 22 7/8 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Keeping Still, 2020 3D VR Painting, Print on Butler Finish, Dibond mounting D 149 cm D 58.6 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Keeping Still, 2020
      3D VR Painting, Print on Butler Finish, Dibond mounting
      D 149 cm
      D 58.6 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 29, 2024 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 81 x 58 cm 31 7/8 x 22 7/8 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 29, 2024
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      81 x 58 cm
      31 7/8 x 22 7/8 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 26, 2023 Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5 Bespoke Robotic System 123 x 71 cm 48 3/8 x 28 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 26, 2023
      Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5
      Bespoke Robotic System
      123 x 71 cm
      48 3/8 x 28 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Artefact 19, 2023 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 96 x 86 cm 37 3/4 x 33 7/8 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Artefact 19, 2023
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      96 x 86 cm
      37 3/4 x 33 7/8 in
      Enquire
  •
  • Sougwen Chung, Spectral - Oscillation 1, 2024
    Sougwen Chung, Spectral - Oscillation 1, 2024

    Auction Results

    Christies' Auctions

    Online Auction 23942Augmented Intelligence

    LOT 005
    Estimate
    USD 20,000 - USD 30,000
    Price Realised USD 25,200
     

    Sotheby's Auctions

    Featuring Future: Pathfinders of Digital Art

    Lumen Prize 13th Anniversary Auction

    Curated by Auronda Scalera and Alfredo Cramerotti

    LOT 001

    Estimate

    $40,000 - $60,000

    Sold for $54,000

     

    Phillips Auctions

    Modern & Contemporary Art: Evening & Day Sale
    London Auction 27 June 2024

    LOT 106

    Estimate
    £12,000 - 18,000 

    Sold for £22,860

     

  • Sougwen Chung, Wave Study 17, 2024
    Sougwen Chung, Wave Study 17, 2024

    Museum Shows

    Chung has exhibited internationally at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Espoo; Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver; Art Basel, Miami; National Art Center, Tokyo; NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], Tokyo, Japan; ArtScience Museum, Singapore; MIT Media Lab, Cambridge; The Drawing Center, New York; The New Museum, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Geneva; Mana Contemporary, New York, Tribeca Film Festival, New York; The Hospital Club, London; Mutek Festival, Montreal & Mexico City; Sonar Festival, Barcelona. Chung’s work has been featured in publications including Art F City, Artnet, Artplugged, Artsy, Business Insider, Dazed and Confused, Engadget, EXIT Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, Irish Times, MASHABLE, Noema Magazine, Seattle Times, Superrare, The Creators Project, The Jakarta Post, The New Yorker, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wired.

  • K11 MUSEA showcased ‘Us In Another Form’ exhibiting Sougwen’s diverse body of work that investigates a mode of working with...

    K11 MUSEA showcased ‘Us In Another Form’ exhibiting Sougwen’s diverse body of work that investigates a mode of working with human-machine interconnections beyond mere extension. These extensions include biosensors, computer vision, virtual reality and spatial technology that catalyse a path of hybridity, as Sougwen speculates on worlds beyond the binary constructs of human and machine.  The new bold artworks not only captivate but also provoke thought, defying the notion of AI as a mere tool, seamlessly merging humanity and technology, with robotic companions serving as dynamic instruments.

     

    K11 MUSEA is a pioneering cultural retail landmark located on the Victoria Dockside harbourfront of Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. Designed by entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, it aims to enrich the daily lives of visitors through creativity, culture and innovation. Since opening its doors in 2019, K11 MUSEA has quickly become a symbol of cultural retail, offering immersive experiences in art, culture, nature and commerce, in response to the growing consumer demand for such experiences.

  • For EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Chung created Assembly Lines, a large-scale kinetic installation featuring a new multi-robotic...

    For EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Chung created Assembly Lines, a large-scale kinetic installation featuring a new multi-robotic system Drawing Operations Unit: Generation 5 (D.O.U.G._5). D.O.U.G._5, explores spectrality – utilising an E.E.G headset and biofeedback technologies linked to Chung’s brainwaves while engaging in centering rituals like drawing and meditating. In the work, the stillness of the human subject is the conduit for painterly machine gestures.

    “Traditional forms of creativity must shape but not be replaced by technological development. Building our own tools and AI systems for art can help us sit with the existential questions posed by new technologies, in a way that fear and hope can be held in the mind at the same time ” - Sougwen Chung

  • V&A Museum Collects MEMORY (D.O.U.G._2), a groundbreaking project by Sougwen Chung, 2022. MEMORY featured an innovative RNN (Recurrent Neural Network)...

    V&A Museum Collects MEMORY (D.O.U.G._2), a groundbreaking project by Sougwen Chung, 2022.

    MEMORY featured an innovative RNN (Recurrent Neural Network) model housed within a meticulously designed 3D-printed sculptural casing, alongside a fine art print. Notably, this RNN model was the first of its kind to be acquired by a cultural institution, marking a significant moment in the intersection of artificial intelligence and contemporary art.

    The model encapsulated the MEMORY (D.O.U.G. 2) dataset within a transparent resin casing that was designed to deteriorate over time, symbolizing the ephemeral nature of data and memory itself. This thought-provoking work invited audiences to consider the evolution and fragility of digital archives.

    MEMORY exemplifies how Sougwen Chung redefined the relationship between art, technology, and preservation.

  • Chung’s work has been featured in publications including Art F City, Artnet, Artplugged, Artsy, Business Insider, Dazed and Confused, Engadget,...

    Chung’s work has been featured in publications including Art F City, Artnet, Artplugged, Artsy, Business Insider, Dazed and Confused, Engadget, EXIT Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, Irish Times, MASHABLE, Noema Magazine, Seattle Times, Superrare, The Creators Project, The Jakarta Post, The New Yorker, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wired.

     

    A former TED Speaker, Chung has spoken at international conferences including SIGGRAPH Conference, Vancouver; Global Art Forum, Singapore; World Science Festival, New York; Cannes Lions, Cannes; WSJ's Future of Everything Conference, New York; Tribeca Film Festival Interactive, New York; House of Beautiful Business, Lisbon; OFFF, Barcelona; FITC, Tokyo; Internet Dargana, Stockholm; SXSW, Austin; The Art Directors Club, New York.

    • Sougwen Chung Artefact 25, 2024 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 99 x 94 cm 39 x 37 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Artefact 25, 2024
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      99 x 94 cm
      39 x 37 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Artefact 20, 2023 Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5 Bespoke Robotic System 150 x 136 cm 59 x 53 1/2 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Artefact 20, 2023
      Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5
      Bespoke Robotic System
      150 x 136 cm
      59 x 53 1/2 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Artefact 21, 2023 Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5 Bespoke Robotic System 127 x 145 cm 50 x 57 1/8 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Artefact 21, 2023
      Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5
      Bespoke Robotic System
      127 x 145 cm
      50 x 57 1/8 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 25 , 2023 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 47 x 47 cm 18 1/2 x 18 1/2 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 25 , 2023
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      47 x 47 cm
      18 1/2 x 18 1/2 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Artefact 15 , 2023 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 85.5 x 102 cm 33 5/8 x 40 1/8 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Artefact 15 , 2023
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      85.5 x 102 cm
      33 5/8 x 40 1/8 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 9, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 39.5 x 44.5 cm 15 1/2 x 17 1/2 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 9, 2021
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      39.5 x 44.5 cm
      15 1/2 x 17 1/2 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 7, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4 Bespoke Robotic System 40 x 33 cm 15 3/4 x 13 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 7, 2021
      Acrylic on Canvas, Created with D.O.U.G._4
      Bespoke Robotic System
      40 x 33 cm
      15 3/4 x 13 in
      Enquire
    • Sougwen Chung Study 6, 2021 Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5 Bespoke Robotic System 56 x 47 cm 22 x 18 1/2 in
      Sougwen Chung
      Study 6, 2021
      Acrylic on Perspex, Print on Paper, Created with D.O.U.G._5
      Bespoke Robotic System
      56 x 47 cm
      22 x 18 1/2 in
      Reserved
      Enquire

  • Digital Artworks

  • Sold Out Drops:

    Body Machine (Sold Out)

    This work investigates the permeability of the robotic form—reimagining machines not just as tools, but as extensions of the human body, sites of invention where 'us in another form' emerges. In this evolving relationship, the notion of intertwined authorship deepens. 

    The interstitial meaning between the mark made by hand and the mark made by machine blur shifting and evolving. In the recent Generation’s focus on adapting biosignal and machine feedback, the integration of bioelectric levels of the body create further distinction between artistic intention and robotic interpretation, an ambiguity that reframes our understanding of collaboration.

  • GENESIS RESEARCH: Ongoing
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    GENESIS RESEARCH: Ongoing

    Not only have we seen the machine readability of the image shape the perception of the relationship between the mark and the image, the infrared, lidar, and positional sensors that comprise virtual reality development, which also comprise the ‘machine sensing’ in the development of AI systems, are the foundation of a new intertwining of embodied cognitive processes.

     

    The sculptural resolution of 3d gestural expressions of the first GENESIS Forms were fabricated with a variety of approaches, from large-format 3d printing to custom chrome plating.

     

    GENESIS INSTALLATION: LIFE/LINES Showcase

    Immersing viewers in a seamless virtual performance, a virtual avatar of Sougwen Chung guides the creation of each sculpture, leading to a captivating representation of an abstract serpent within the debut installation.

    The intricate 3D gestural expressions in GENESIS Forms come to life through diverse fabrication techniques, from large-format 3D printing to custom chrome plating. 

    The result is a process that speculates on the collapsing of boundaries of architecture, drawing and dance. The serpentine form, suspended within the room, mirrors the liquid mercury texture, with its contours reflecting the intricate process on the surrounding walls.

    Beyond shaping perceptions of the mark-image relationship, the incorporation of infrared, lidar, and positional sensors in virtual reality software establishes a foundation for a novel integration of embodied cognitive processes.

  • GROUND TRUTHS (SOLD OUT), by Sougwen Chung
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    GROUND TRUTHS (SOLD OUT)

    by Sougwen Chung

    Ground Truths is a new series of digital paintings by Sougwen Chung. The work is produced using a custom generative model trained on physical painting artifacts created in collaboration with the Drawing Operations Unit: Generation 4. 

     

    Each of the 49 paintings in the Ground Truth is unique — the series is the first phase in Chung’s reimagining of landscape painting as a synthesis of human and machine marks. The work speculates on a hybrid interpretation of the earth as seen from space to create abstract, other-worldly topographies.

    The acquisition of Ground Truths comprises an NFT still, a unique signed fine art print of the collaborative drawing on Giclee paper, a film documenting the artist’s process.

     

    Drops 9am PDT Saturday 14 October (Whitelist only)

    Monday Oct 16 (Public sale)

    Price: 0.5 ETH ($780)

    Prints will be released on Thursday 19th October ($79 DHL international delivery fee not included)

  • Art Fairs