Lianjiang Zhu

"During my residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, I reflected on the paradox of digital images —
seemingly weightless yet dependent on the mineral and metallic infrastructures that sustain them. Drawing on Friedrich Kittler’s notion that “Nur was schaltbar ist, ist überhaupt,” I examined how the digital condition recognizes existence solely through code and signals. By scaling and layering the transparent grid of the PNG format, I visualized the invisible logic of data that defines what can be seen. The resulting work compresses these digital strata onto metal surfaces, revealing the tangible material trace beneath the illusion of virtual immateriality." (Lianjiang Zhu, 2025)