Hung-Lu Chan

Hung-Lu Chan

Hung-Lu Chan is a Taiwanese artist and social designer, based in the Netherlands, interested in exploring human imaginations of the unknown from within. In his recent projects, he particularly takes aliens as a metaphor and researches their fluid interpretations and sociopolitical impacts on our perceptions of otherness by combining neuroscience and spirituality. His creative practice is rooted at the intersection of art, science, and technology, excelling in using interactive experiences to contextualize alternative viewpoints and questions about the unknown world. He positions his work as an ‘imagination catalyst’ to challenge established stereotypes and norms and prompt diverse and inclusive imaginations of humanity.

Artworks

Close Encounters with Inner Aliens

2023

brain image, AI image generators, installation

Triggered by curiosity, humans tend to imagine aliens in an approach to perceiving the unknown. However, these absurdities are entirely shaped by our preconceptions. Delving into various representations of aliens, this project highlights how we visualize otherness by looking within ourselves. With the means of fMRI and ChatGPT, our imagination of aliens will be explored personally and collectively by conducting guided meditation with three individuals and one AI. Ultimately, a liminal space is developed to visualize aliens from both human and artificial inner worlds, inviting audiences to appreciate others’ inner aliens and prompting them to introspect on their cognitive biases and perceptions of the unknown.