aaajiao (Xu Wenkai)

1984  Born in Xi'an

Currently lives and works in Shanghai 

Aaajiao is one of China's foremost media artists, bloggers and free culture developers. In 2003 he established the sound art website: cornersound.com, and in 2006 he founded the Chinese take on the blog We Make Money Not Art: We Need Money Not Art. He is devoted to Processing, an open source visual programming software, Dorkbot, a non-profit initiative for creative minds, and eventstructure, an interdisciplinary center for art, media technology and academic research based in Shanghai. In his works in general, aaajiao focuses on the use of data and its various forms of display, and how meaning is understood through the process of transforming the movement from reality, to data, and back again. His most significant aesthetic contribution to new media in China is a social one, acting as a vector for the interpretation and communication of international and local trends in the usages of software in artistic practice.

Solo Exhibition

“Alias: aaajiao Jan 2015”, Shanghai, Leo Xu Projects

“The Screen Generation @ 9m2 -Museum Feb 2014”, Shanghai, 9m2 Museum ( Goethe Open Space)

“The Screen Generation Dec 2013”, Shanghai, chi K11 art space

“The Screen Generation - Prequel Nov 2013”, Beijing, C-Space

“Placebo Nov 2011”, Shnaghai, OtherGallery

“Cybernetics Sep 2010”, Shanghai, V Arts Centre

 Main Group Exhibitions:

2015
“Feb 2015 The Tell-Tale Heart”, Chi Art Space, Hong Kong

“Jan 2015 The 2nd “CAFAM Future” Exhibition: Observer-Creator · The Reality Representation of Chinese Young Art”, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing

 2014

“Dec 2014 2014 OCAT - Pierre Huber Art Prize Shortlist Exhibition The Truth About Entropy”, OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal Shanghai,  Shanghai

“Nov 2014 Ministry of Truth II - The Factitious and its Realm”, Boers-Li Gallery, Beijing

“Nov 2014 Cosmos - Limited and Limitless, Existence and Co-existence”, 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai

“Aug 2014 The 12th National Art Exhibition - Experimental Art”, Today Art Museum, Beijing

“July 2014 Metamorphosis of the Virtual 5+5”, chi K11 art museum, Shanghai

“July 2014 Silence - the 1990s”, Balice Hertling, Paris

“June 2014 Thingworld - International Triennial of New Media Art”, The National Art Museum of China, Beijing

“Mar 2014 PANDAMONIUM - Media Art From Shanghai”, Momentum, Berlin

“Mar 2014 Transience - Intractable Objects”, Taikang Space, Beijing

 2013

“Nov 2013 The West Bank Architecture and Contemporary Art Biennale”, Shanghai

“Nov 2013 Reading”, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai

“Jul 2013 Lost In The Labyrinth”, Harvestworks, New York

“May 2013 Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Money - Art After Social Media Era”, chi K11 art space, Shanghai

“Mar 2013 SHANGHAI SURPRISE - A GROUP SHOW ON CONTEMPORARY ART IN SHANGHAI”, chi K11 art space,Shanghai

 2012

“Sep 2012 ART DIALOGUE CITY - 2ND EDITION N-MINUTES VIDEO ART FESTIVAL”,  Shanghai

“Sep 2012 Solar Plexus”, Space Station Sixty Five, London

“Jun 2012 Whatever You Want - New Media Art Show”, Beijing

“Jun 2012 Solar Plexus”, V Arts Centre, Shanghai

“May 2012 OVERLOOK”, Shanghai, Magda Danysz Gallery

 2011

“Dec 2011 "One World" Exposition - Chinese Art in the Age of the New Media”, Videotage,Hongkong

“Aug 2011 Augmented Senses - A China-France Media Art Exhibition” , The Oct Art&Design Gallery,Shenzhen

“Jun 2011 TransLife: Media Art China 2011 - International Triennial of New Media Art”, The National Art Museum of China, Beijing

“Jun 2011 Augmented Senses - A China-France Media Art Exhibition”, The OCT SUHE CREEK GALLERY,Shanghai, 

“Jun 2011 Be With Me”, Liste 16, Basel

“Apr 2011 +Follow”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai

“Apr 2011 From Interaction to Micro-Sociology: The Dual Thread of Media Intervention into Art in The Netherlands and China”, Art ISSUE Projects, Beijing

“Mar 2011 Words and Dreams”, 18 Gallery, Shanghai

 2010

“Sep 2010 Resonance”,18 Gallery, Shanghai

“Sep 2010 Creators Project”, 798, Beijing

“Sep 2010 a world which is being built!”, V Arts Centre, Shanghai

“Feb 2010 Transmediale”, Berlin

 2009

“Dec 2009 Sweet Future”, Shanghai

“Nov 2009 Fantastic Illusions - Media Art Exhibition of Chinese and Belgian Artists Belgium”, Shanghai

“Sep 2009 New Media Archaeology”, DDM, Shanghai

“Apr 2009 Art Beijing 2009 Thematic Exhibition- Art Unforbidden”, Beijing

 2008

“Oct 2008 Shift Festival”, Switzerland

“Oct 2008 eArts Festival”, Shanghai

“Sep 2008 Virtual City (New Power – China Contemporary Art Biennale 2008)”

“June 2008 Synthetic Times Public Education Project”, Beijing
“July 2008 Mini Summit on New Media Arts Policy & Practice”, Singapore
“Apr 2008 SEWN Segment Space”, Shanghai

 2007

“Nov 2007 Microwave Internationl Media Art Festival”, Hongkong

“Nov 2007 Long March”, Beijing

“Oct 2007 eArts Festival”, Shanghai

“Oct 2007 SEWN Segment Space”, Beijing

“Aug 2007 Getitlouder”, Beijing

“Jul 2007 Zhangjiang science, technology and culture festival”, Shanghai
“Jun 2007 THE MOBILE LAB Borderline Festival”, Beijing
“May 2007 CIGE multi media arts international lab forum”, Beijing
“May 2007 Media Art in China Exhibition Series 1999-2007 Beijing”, Arario Gallery

“Apr 2007 Deaf07”, Netherlands