Lu Yang Doku: The Illusion

“DOKU The Illusion” by Lu Yang is presented at Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia in parallel with the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Espaces Louis Vuitton and the 10th anniversary of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s “Beyond the Walls” programme. The exhibition forms part of this international initiative across multiple cities, aiming to make contemporary art accessible to a wider public.

The artist is known for immersive video installations that construct virtual worlds informed by Buddhist philosophy, including concepts of dream and wakefulness, illusion and awakening, and Madhyamaka thought on the nature of reality. These frameworks are extended through references to digital culture, including manga, video games and anime, which function as a visual language for hybrid entities that question fixed notions of identity and embodiment.

For this presentation, Lu Yang develops an installation combining original sculptures with a video work centred on “DOKU The Illusion”, the fourth chapter of the “DOKU” series (2025). The character DOKU, based on a digitalisation of the artist’s own face, functions as an avatar through which questions of corporeality and transformation are explored. The film integrates live action and AI-generated imagery and is set primarily in Japan’s Izu Peninsula.

The installation transforms the space into a cybernetic environment structured around a central screen positioned like an altar. Sculptural representations of the Buddha holding the wheel of life are placed within the space, while reflective architectural elements integrate visitors into the installation. The soundscape combines hip-hop, piano and traditional music, aligning with the broader theme of the Biennale.