Larva of Time | Bai Shunong

Biologist Bai Shunong, inspired by the art exhibition, contemplates how life is comprehended by the public. He notes that our initial focus on either "life molecules" or "organisms" fundamentally shapes our perception. Furthermore, the entrenched misconception of teleology in biology and the limitations of flattened reductionism also hinder people in grasping life's multi-layered complexities.
The Larva of Time is an interdisciplinary curatorial and research project, realized as part of the “Creative Futures” initiative at the Berggruen Research Center at Peking University and exhibited in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) at NYU Shanghai. The exhibition lasted from June to August 2024. Commenced in the summer of 2022, The Larva of Time invited artists and scientists to investigate unnoticed temporal imprints in the processes of artistic and scientific research, exploring the contextual resonances between art and science. Curated by former Berggruen Fellow Iris LONG, the exhibition features eleven works, co-created by the exhibiting artists and scientists BAI Shunong, GUO Cheng, ZHANG Wei, and ZHANG Wenxin, all derived from the project’s research and commissions.