Ecologies of Care
01_Ani_Liu_Labor_of_Love_1.jpg | Credits: Ani Liu
03_Ani_Liu_Pumping.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
07_Ani_Liu_AI_Toys_2.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
09_Ani_Liu_Ai_Toys_4.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
10_Ani_Liu_Surrogacy_1.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
11_Ani_Liu_Surrogacy_2.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
13_Ani_Liu_Ecologies_of_Care_Gallery_view.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
14_Ani_Liu_Ecologies_of_Care_Gallery_view_2.jpg | Credits: Brad Farwell
Ecologies of Care is a body of work and exhibition that explores feminist concerns surrounding motherhood, care work, and the reproductive arc. Through the use of data visualization, sculpture, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, installation, and other syntheses of art and technology, these works highlight the experiences of mothers and the ways that care work has been historically marginalized.
Data driven sculptures play a significant role in the exhibition. “Labor of Love” provides a data portrait of the enormous amount of invisible labor that pervades caring for a newborn. Utilizing the materiality of infant care, this data visualization uses breast milk, formula, and diaper fragments. Reflecting on the historic devaluation of “women’s” work, this sculpture documents the labor often made invisible, questioning the types of work we value, and the care that we often take for granted.
Echoing throughout the exhibition is the sound of a pump that circulates milk within the gallery space. Created as a material reference to the artist’s intimate experience with breastfeeding and pumping, the volume of milk present in Untitled (Feeding Through Space and Time) ranges from the amount produced in a single session of feeding to a month’s supply of lactation.
The Surrogacy questions the relationship between technology, reproduction, and the biopolitical control of bodies as a means for production.
Finally, a series of A.I.-generated toys fuse the relationship between the construction of identity and instruments of play, while exploring the cultural and psychological influences that inform caring for children. Created using a machine learning algorithm trained on real products marketed as “boys“ and “girls’” toys, these invented toys expose one source of the gendered social values that we place on children and critically ask how we might rewrite and redesign play.
Ecologies of Care is a body of work and exhibition that explores feminist concerns surrounding motherhood, care work, and the reproductive arc. Through the use of data visualization, sculpture, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, installation, and other syntheses of art and technology, these works highlight the experiences of mothers and the ways that care work has been historically marginalized.
Data driven sculptures play a significant role in the exhibition. “Labor of Love” provides a data portrait of the enormous amount of invisible labor that pervades caring for a newborn. Utilizing the materiality of infant care, this data visualization uses breast milk, formula, and diaper fragments. Reflecting on the historic devaluation of “women’s” work, this sculpture documents the labor often made invisible, questioning the types of work we value, and the care that we often take for granted.
Echoing throughout the exhibition is the sound of a pump that circulates milk within the gallery space. Created as a material reference to the artist’s intimate experience with breastfeeding and pumping, the volume of milk present in Untitled (Feeding Through Space and Time) ranges from the amount produced in a single session of feeding to a month’s supply of lactation.
The Surrogacy questions the relationship between technology, reproduction, and the biopolitical control of bodies as a means for production.
Finally, a series of A.I.-generated toys fuse the relationship between the construction of identity and instruments of play, while exploring the cultural and psychological influences that inform caring for children. Created using a machine learning algorithm trained on real products marketed as “boys“ and “girls’” toys, these invented toys expose one source of the gendered social values that we place on children and critically ask how we might rewrite and redesign play.
This show was supported by Artist Alliance Inc, whose director is Jodi Waynberg, assistant curator Alessandro Facente.
The research assistants for some works in this project are: Ana Morris, Michelle Lim, Andrea Li, Ryan Thorpe, Jenny Zhang.
With special gratitude to all the care workers and family support that made this show possible: Han Di Liu, Min Liang Liu, Adam Belanich, daycare teachers Ruth Fanelli, Gael Kramer.
With support from: Artist Alliance Inc and the Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space
Ani Liu (US) is an internationally exhibiting research-based artist working at the intersection of art & technoscience. Integrating emerging technologies with cultural reflection and social change, Ani’s most recent work examines the biopolitics of reproduction, labor, care work, and motherhood. Ani's work has been exhibited internationally, at the Venice Biennale, Milan Triennale, Ars Electronica, the Queens Museum Biennial, MIT Museum, MIT Media Lab, Mana Contemporary, Harvard University, and Shenzhen Design Society. Ani is passionate about integrating multidisciplinary approaches to art making, and is currently an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ani Liu (US) is an internationally exhibiting research-based artist working at the intersection of art & technoscience. Integrating emerging technologies with cultural reflection and social change, Ani’s most recent work examines the biopolitics of reproduction, labor, care work, and motherhood. Ani's work has been exhibited internationally, at the Venice Biennale, Milan Triennale, Ars Electronica, the Queens Museum Biennial, MIT Museum, MIT Media Lab, Mana Contemporary, Harvard University, and Shenzhen Design Society. Ani is passionate about integrating multidisciplinary approaches to art making, and is currently an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.