Chen Chieh-Jen｜Biennale of Sydney｜White Bay Power Station, Sydney
Dates｜2026.03.14 – 06.14Hour｜Tue-Sun 10:00 - 17:00
Venue｜White Bay Power Station, Sydney, Australia
Chen Chieh-jen, an artist represented by Lin & Lin Gallery, has been invited to participate in the 25th Biennale of Sydney. This marks the artist's third invitation to the Biennale, following his appearances in 2006 and 2016.
The theme of this year's Biennale, REMEMORY, is inspired by the book Mouth Full of Blood: Essays, Speeches, Meditations by acclaimed American author Toni Morrison. The exhibition will explore the intricate relationship between remembering and forgetting, examining how both personal and collective historical memories are reconstructed. By delving into the fragmented and forgotten aspects of history, the Biennale aims to challenge conventional mainstream narratives. Through a rich tapestry of contemporary art, music, and storytelling, participating artists will present marginalized narratives and share untold stories, encouraging audiences to reconsider how memory shapes identity and belonging. This exploration highlights the importance of revisiting the past as a means to understand the present and envision new meanings and systems for preserving memory in our rapidly evolving world.
Chen Chieh-Jen will showcase three significant video works: Contemporary Lo-deh Sao, Worn Away, and Voices of Pathologized Bodies (Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney). In Contemporary Lo-deh Sao, Chen presents documentary photographs reflecting his artistic practices over the past two decades, during which he has collaborated with marginalized groups narrate their histories and realities. His work Worn Away and Voices of Pathologized Bodies adopt a semi-fictional lens to examine the human condition, critiquing the illusions propagated by contemporary techno-capitalism. These pieces address the accelerating crisis of species extinction caused by unmanned futurism and explore how the "abandoned people" —those marginalized by techno-capitalism—can transcend these illusions, moving toward a vision of a "co-existing futurism."
During the Biennale, Chen Chieh-Jen will also collaborate with local Sydney communities, including Bankstown Poetry Slam, Sydney Street Choir, and Super Inday Art Project. Together, they will transform his original exhibition space into a shared stage for poetry recitations, choral performances, and theatrical plays.
Biennale of Sydney Exhibition Dates: March 14, 2026 – June 14, 2026
Sponsors：
More information
The theme of this year's Biennale, REMEMORY, is inspired by the book Mouth Full of Blood: Essays, Speeches, Meditations by acclaimed American author Toni Morrison. The exhibition will explore the intricate relationship between remembering and forgetting, examining how both personal and collective historical memories are reconstructed. By delving into the fragmented and forgotten aspects of history, the Biennale aims to challenge conventional mainstream narratives. Through a rich tapestry of contemporary art, music, and storytelling, participating artists will present marginalized narratives and share untold stories, encouraging audiences to reconsider how memory shapes identity and belonging. This exploration highlights the importance of revisiting the past as a means to understand the present and envision new meanings and systems for preserving memory in our rapidly evolving world.
Chen Chieh-Jen will showcase three significant video works: Contemporary Lo-deh Sao, Worn Away, and Voices of Pathologized Bodies (Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney). In Contemporary Lo-deh Sao, Chen presents documentary photographs reflecting his artistic practices over the past two decades, during which he has collaborated with marginalized groups narrate their histories and realities. His work Worn Away and Voices of Pathologized Bodies adopt a semi-fictional lens to examine the human condition, critiquing the illusions propagated by contemporary techno-capitalism. These pieces address the accelerating crisis of species extinction caused by unmanned futurism and explore how the "abandoned people" —those marginalized by techno-capitalism—can transcend these illusions, moving toward a vision of a "co-existing futurism."
During the Biennale, Chen Chieh-Jen will also collaborate with local Sydney communities, including Bankstown Poetry Slam, Sydney Street Choir, and Super Inday Art Project. Together, they will transform his original exhibition space into a shared stage for poetry recitations, choral performances, and theatrical plays.
Biennale of Sydney Exhibition Dates: March 14, 2026 – June 14, 2026
Sponsors：
More information
Main Venue：White Bay Power Station
Exhibition photos of Worn Away, 2022-2023, b/w & color, Three-channel Video
Contemporary Lo-deh Sao, 2002-2025, b/w, sound, single-channel, 62’ 14”
Voices of Pathologized Bodies, 2025, b/w, sound, single-channel, 54’ 43”