Yuge Zhou

At the age of five, Yuge Zhou 周雨歌 became a household name in China as the singer for 'Little Dragon Boy (小龙人)', one of the most popular children’s series in Chinese TV history. Yuge came to the US a decade ago to earn a degree in computer science and subsequently moved into video art and installations. Her work addresses rootedness, longing and transient encounters across constructed or natural spaces. 
Yuge has exhibited nationally and internationally in prominent art and public venues and is currently a member at NEW INC, New Museum’s art and technology incubator. Recent awards include Juried Award in the installation category at ArtPrize 2021, Artist Fellowship Award in Media Arts from the Illinois Arts Council and Honorary Mention in the 2020 Prix Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria. Her work has been featured in various publications such as the New York Magazine, Hyperallergic and The Atlantic. Yuge holds a MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as well as a Master of Science from Syracuse University.
In addition to her art practice, she also directs and curates the 3300-square foot 150 Media Stream, a uniquely-structured public digital art installation in Chicago. In this capacity, she has worked with over fifty media artists and cultural institutions to create innovative programming each month that engages a cross section of diverse communities.

Artist statement:
I left my hometown Beijing in 2007 amidst a rapid geopolitical and urban transformation. Growing up in the second stage of China’s economic reform, I witnessed a massive influx of migration, expansion and globalization. As I have moved from China to America, and from the East coast to the Midwest, I have become deeply intrigued with the social interactions and connections across constructed or natural spaces - the sites of our shared dreams. 

Traveling across continents has left me with a longing for rootedness and intimacy. My work originates from a simple desire to observe and connect with the physical and psychological spaces we inhabit. I use the camera to document ritualistic moments and reassemble this documentation into scenes that create meaningful coincidences and relationships embedded within metaphorical territories and borders, both from a personal and ideological point of view. My recent projects explore the actual and emotional distance between my homeland and America, my adopted country, and broader challenges of transcending separation. (YZ)