The Inadequacy of Grammar
Gary Zhexi Zhang
The Inadequacy of Grammar
The Inadequacy of Grammar extends Gary Zhexi Zhang’s exploration of temporality in social, technological and material systems. At EPFL, he will work on a new film project examining the experiences and representations of non-linear time, in dialogue with physicists and neuroscientists.
- Envisaged collaborations: EPFL Center for Imaging, Brain Mind Institute, Crystal Growth Facility, Laboratory of Quantum Physics, Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab, Earth and Planetary Sciences Lab, Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impact, Ecological Engineering Laboratory, Laboratory for Ecohydrology.
- Facilities: Anechoic and Reverberant Chambers
Gary Zhexi Zhang
Gary Zhexi Zhang was born in China, grew up in Birmingham and is currently based in London. He studied at Glasgow School of Art, Cambridge University and MIT.
His recent projects explore financial fictions, weird temporalities and catastrophe. Dead Cat Bounce, an oratorio he made in collaboration with Waste Paper Opera, premiered at Somerset House, London in July 2022. A 2021 solo exhibition, Cycle 25, documented events that shape the boundaries between speculative belief and the material world, like natural disasters, scam nations and cosmic economies. Recent group shows (2021-) include Liquid Ground, UCCA Dune; Death Ray on Coral Island, Power Station of Art; Rehearsing the Future; Alien Art Centre; The Principle of Hope, Inside Out Art Museum.
As a researcher, he has held fellowships at the Berggruen Institute in L.A. and Sakiya – Art Science Agriculture in Ramallah. He is a co-founder of design studio Foreign Objects, which was incubated at NEW INC and received the Mozilla Creative Media Award. He has taught at Parsons, ETH Zurich, MIT and is currently an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths MFA.