Le Xi 奚乐: The Body in Technology
The relationship between digital technology and bodily perception has always been a central focus of my work. While this relationship seems logical visually, in actual experience, technology can be understood, but the body’s perception often faces limitations. This gap has led me to shift my creative approach—no longer seeking technological perfection, but instead returning to personal life experiences, combining everyday moments with bodily sensations, and using more direct aesthetic expressions to bridge these gaps and imbalances.
Le Xi, Dynamic Resonance, Still, dimensions variable, 2024
The blending of the body with technology, or the idea of "the body being penetrated by machines," has become an unavoidable issue in contemporary life. In this context, science and technology are continuously reshaping the boundaries of the body: extending perception, amplifying action, and changing the concepts of both the body and matter. In a world dominated by technology, the body is no longer an isolated individual but a node coexisting with systems, speed, and structure. The body is not only a vessel for perception but is increasingly shaped by external technological rhythms, gradually syncing with machines.
Le Xi, Dynamic Resonance, Still, dimensions variable, 2024
Dynamic Resonance grew out of a very ordinary physical experience: standing inside a subway car as it moved at high speed. In that moment, I realized I was no longer just a passenger being transported, but someone pulled into the rhythm of the machine itself. My body constantly shifted between losing balance and regaining it, and my awareness became unusually sharp. When the train suddenly started, I felt my body pushed backward, the acceleration acting directly on my muscles and center of gravity. This made me realize that electric and intelligent systems are not abstract ideas—they are deeply embedded in the body.
Le Xi, Dynamic Resonance, Still, dimensions variable, 2024
During the making of the work, I chose to record directly with my phone, using the subway tracks as a fixed reference point. My body actively tried to match and follow the movement of the machine. Through layering and masking in the video, I emphasized the relationship between my arm and the passing tracks, turning speed and balance into the main visual tension. This was not a performance, but a way of recording bodily perception—a brief moment when the human body and the machine move in sync.
Le Xi, Dynamic Resonance, Still, dimensions variable, 2024
Through Dynamic Resonance, I aim to clear away everyday distractions and present, in a direct artistic form, the merging of the body with an electric and automated system. The work highlights the excitement created by speed, while also reflecting my mixed feelings toward future technology—both anticipation and caution. More importantly, it asks whether, in today’s highly artificial environments, we can find a new balance between humans and machines, between technology and nature, and achieve coexistence through resonance.
Le Xi, Dynamic Resonance, video, 01:03(Loop), dimensions variable, 2024
