Chinese artist Ding Yi, who first appeared at the Venice Biennale in 1993 as part of the inaugural Chinese contemporary art exhibition, has returned to Venice with his first solo show in the city, titled “Cosmotechnics: Ding Yi as a Planetary Code” at Fondazione Querini Stampalia. The exhibition, referencing philosopher Yuk Hui's concept of cosmotechnics, traces Ding Yi's abstract visual language from the 1980s to the present, featuring new and historic works that engage with the modernist architecture of Carlo Scarpa. In an interview with ArtAsiaPacific during the 61st Venice Biennale preview week, Ding Yi reflects on the evolution of his practice, his travels, and the deep perceptual frameworks of ancient civilizations.
The exhibition and interview matter because they mark a significant milestone in the maturation of Chinese contemporary art on the global stage. Ding Yi contrasts his accidental inclusion in the 1993 Biennale—when Chinese contemporary art was barely a decade old and lacked self-knowledge—with his current solo show, which he describes as a necessary encounter for a body of work that has reached a point of conceptual and intellectual ambition parallel to Western practice. His reflections underscore how Chinese contemporary art has moved from incomprehension to a more substantial, self-determined dialogue with the global art world, making this a landmark moment for both the artist and the broader narrative of Chinese art history.