SIVA HOX ZODIAC WORKSHOP

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Hox Zodiac Project Website: https://hoxzodiac.com/

Recently, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA) hosted a distinctive and immersive HOX Zodiac intensive workshop. Invited by the DeTao Masters Academy and jointly organized by the School of Future Design at Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, internationally renowned media artist and UCLA Design Media Arts professor Victoria Vesna led students in an in-depth dialogue centered on genetic science, zodiac culture, and contemporary art.

The HOX ZODIAC project has evolved over the past 18 years and has previously been exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tsukuba, Vienna, Paris, Motovun, and Slovenia. Rooted in Chinese zodiac culture and coinciding with the transition from one lunar year to the next, this marked the project’s first presentation in mainland China — both a cultural homecoming and a timely, symbolically resonant moment.

A Performative / Participatory Luncheon

The workshop culminated in a performative luncheon that brought together faculty and students from SIVA, alongside invited artists, engineers, and scientists. Seated at a long table according to their zodiac signs, guests became part of a carefully staged interdisciplinary performance. Students presented each dish in sequence, pairing food with concise narratives that linked zodiac symbolism to genetics, ecology, and evolving relationships between humans and animals.

Using the zodiac as a shared language, the event unfolded as a warm yet intellectually charged exchange between art and science. Conversation flowed freely, and ideas collided across disciplines.

In his closing remarks, Lin Min, Executive Vice President of SIVA, praised the students’ work and emphasized the importance of engaging with traditional Chinese culture through contemporary, interdisciplinary approaches. He encouraged students to develop cultural confidence and to contribute new Chinese narratives within a global context. He also highlighted the workshop’s underlying philosophy of non-anthropocentrism, where humans and animals are understood as equal participants in a shared ecological system — an idea with growing relevance for our collective future.

Honored Guests (by Zodiac cycle):
Rat—闫金丽 Yan Jinli; Ox—马麟鸿 Ma Linhong; Tiger—熊洁 Xiong Jie; Dragon—吴俊 Wu Jun, 薛刚 Xue Gang, Soeun Bae; Snake—张弘 Zhang Hong; Horse—陈月浩 Chen Yuehao, 刘玉婷 Liu Yuting; Sheep—金豪 Jin Hao, 陈迪辉 Chen Dihui; Monkey—张恒 Zhang Heng; Rooster—林敏 Lin Min; Dog—木巾 Mujin.

工作坊组织 (Workshop Coordinator):
Dragon—李天娇 (Li Tianjiao)

摄影 (Photographer):
Pig—赵奕瑶 (Zhao Yiyao)

翻译(Translator)
Dragon—张婷婷 (Zhang Tingting)

特别致谢 (Special Thanks):
Rat—闫金丽 (Yan Jinli)

Students: Mouse—丁奕程 Ding Yicheng; Dog—查恒烨 Cha Hengye, 丁予宁 Ding Yuning, 刘一涵 Liu Yihan; Monkey—陈定鸿 Chen Dinghong; Rooster—刘慕瑶 Liu Muyao; Pig—郝婕 Hao Jie, 刘宇琦 Liu Yuqi, 马千画 Ma Qianhua, 沈乐然 Shen Leran, 汪欣月 Wang Xinyue.