Cosmotechnics: Ding Yi as a Planetary Code

Fondazione Querini Stampalia presents “Cosmotechnics”, a solo exhibition by Ding Yi curated by Alfredo Cramerotti and Auronda Scalera, with the support of Lisson Gallery and ShanghART Gallery. Bringing together new and historic works, the presentation traces the evolution of the artist’s visual language alongside a series of stone steles that introduce a dimension of reflection and ritual. Borrowing its title from a concept developed by philosopher Yuk Hui, the exhibition transforms Carlo Scarpa’s Area into a contemplative environment in which the works are arranged along a meandering path recalling traditional Chinese gardens.

At the core of the exhibition are twelve black-and-white paintings arranged as a constellation. Conceived as both paintings and contemporary steles, these panels invite viewers to move through the space and encounter each work from multiple perspectives. The monochrome palette marks a significant development in Ding Yi’s practice, following more than a decade of fluorescent colour and opening onto questions of time, space and perception. The exhibition also includes seven historic works spanning the 1980s to the 2020s, tracing the development of the “Appearance of Crosses” series, begun in 1988, from an early grid-based structure to an expanded practice in which painting, sculpture and architecture intersect. Two stone steles carved with the artist’s signature motif further situate the works within a broader temporal framework, engaging with memory, continuity and cosmic orientation. A publication by Skira accompanies the exhibition.