Written by Yiya Wang, Class of 2028
Duke Kunshan University media arts faculty members Benjamin Bacon (Associate Professor of Media and Arts) and Vivian Xu (Assistant Professor of Media and Art) have launched their collaborative mixed‑media installation Horologic Hysteros at the Power Station of Art (PSA) in Shanghai. The exhibition opened on April 24, 2026, and will be on view to the public from April 25 through June 28, 2026, as part of TECHNO WORLDS — FINAL SAMPLING, the final stop of the exhibition’s five-year global tour.
Commissioned by the Power Station of Art, Horologic Hysteros explores themes of machine temporality, media archaeology, and the rhythms of technological history. The project invites audiences to reflect on how human time is reshaped by the technological systems we create.
Co‑organized by PSA and the Department of Culture and Education of the German Consulate General in Shanghai, TECHNO WORLDS — FINAL SAMPLING brings together 23 groups of artworks to explore connections and differences between humanity, history, and technology. The exhibition is curated by Mathilde Weh, Justin Hoffmann, Creamcake, and Sensend in collaboration with UFO Terminal.
After touring cities including Budapest, Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Zurich, Beijing, and others, the project arrives at its final stop in Shanghai, where international works engage in dialogue with local Shanghai‑based artists. The exhibition has been covered by media including RADII and selected as one of the top three exhibitions to see in Shanghai in May by Smart Shanghai Magazine. On Saturday, May 16, 2026, Prof. Bacon and prof. Xu will hold an artist talk titled Conversations with Machines at the museum to share insights into their work.
Image and video documentation for the installation is provided by the artists, with special thanks to DKU Arts and Humanities alumni Kaiqi Wu and Jiarui Diao for their photography and cinematography support.
More in-depth conceptual writing about the work Horologic Hysteros: