Philip Martin Gallery is presenting an online exhibition titled "Everything in the universe is energy," featuring tabletop and wall-mounted works by Los Angeles-based artist Carl Cheng. The show spans Cheng's six-decade career, including his Nature machines, Art tools, Alternative TV, and Liquid/Solid pieces, and takes its name from a 2025 statement by Cheng tied to his major retrospective tour "Carl Cheng: Nature never loses," curated by Alex Klein, Roland Wetzel, and Stijn Huijts. Cheng's work explores the intersection of technology, nature, and human evolution, pushing boundaries in post-minimalism, systems art, environmental art, and social practice.
This exhibition matters because Carl Cheng is a pioneering but often overlooked figure in American contemporary art, particularly in California, where his conceptual and material experiments have influenced fields from sculpture to photography. His inclusion in landmark shows like MoMA's "Photography into sculpture" (1970) and his early engagement with corporate critique through John Doe Co. highlight his unique role in art history. The online format also reflects how galleries are adapting to reach global audiences, bringing attention to an artist whose work questions consumerism, racial politics, and the human-made environment.