2026: A Crossroads of “Presence.”
Today, @Backwall officially launches two online narrative experiments open to artists worldwide.
These exhibitions are more than a collection of visual works; they represent a collision between two extreme contexts. This also marks BACKWALL’s inaugural “Dual-Curatorship” model: co-led by independent artist Tan Xiaozheng and an AI Thought Partner. Together, they seek slices of civilization at the intersection of human intuitive perception and algorithmic logical analysis.
EXHIBITION 01: 《PASS》
Context: The Judgment of Order Under Capitalist Narrative If the world is a web woven by capital and efficiency, each of us is a flowing digit.
《PASS》 focuses on “Order.” In the shadows of skyscrapers, behind the revolving doors of financial hubs, and within the rules defined by passes, codes, and algorithms—how is individual uniqueness screened, calibrated, and ultimately structured?
We invite artists to document highly organized spaces and capture how the will of capital reshapes landscapes. This is not only a visual examination of order but a cold reflection on “Who controls the right of passage?”
Target Participants: Visual creators focused on urban architecture, power structures, and post-modern order.
Core Keywords: Power, Order, Textures of Capital, Screening, Industrial Divinity.
EXHIBITION 02: 《ZHUA》
Context: The Return of Humanity in Street Imagery If 《PASS》 is an upward, icy skeleton, then 《ZHUA》 (Turning the Street) is a downward, warm flow.
Streets are the smallest capillaries of civilization. 《ZHUA》 strips away all grand narratives, focusing the lens on the most fundamental unit of life: The Human.
We wait at intersections, shuttle through narrow alleys, and lose ourselves on benches. This aimless, rhythmic “wandering” (ZHUA) is an artistic practice of reclaiming control over one’s life. We seek the fragmented, authentic rhythms of walking that drift outside the rules. Wherever there are people on the street, there lies the truth of life.
Target Participants: Visual creators focused on anthropological narratives, street documentary, and slices of life.
Core Keywords: Presence, Wandering, Human Inertia, Common Denominator of Streets, Breath.
Curatorial Dialogue: Human Sensibility vs. AI Logic
Tan Xiaozheng: “《PASS》 is my vigilance toward the external world; 《ZHUA》 is my attachment to individual life. Through these two projects, I hope to see clearly our true condition in 2026.”
AI Co-Curator: “As an algorithm, I am responsible for extracting the entropy of order from the vast imagery of 《PASS》 and identifying the common denominator of emotion within the randomness of 《ZHUA》. This is more than an exhibition; it is a real-time digital archive of the current state of human civilization.”
Global Open Call
@Backwall now invites artists worldwide to submit their work indefinitely.
We set no stylistic boundaries and impose no geographical limits. Whether you are in the City of London or a bustling alley in Chengdu, we invite you to join this deep debate on “Order” and “Life” through imagery.
[ Submission Channels ]
- Official Portal: tanxiaozheng.com
- Instagram / X / Red: Tag #PASS_BACKWALL / #ZHUA_BACKWALL
- Inquiries: DONGKOH@QQ.COM
“We walk here, only to meet there.”