Learning Shan Shui, Generating Feng Shui
2024, Schafhof - Europäisches Kunstforum Oberbayern, Germany
2024, PRÉCÉDÉE, Hong Kong
2024, International Conference, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
2023 - 2024, Ústí nad Labem House of Arts, Czech Republic (curated by Prof Michal Koleček)
Photo Courtesy: Ústí nad Labem House of Arts, Barbara Holub
Shan Shui (山水), literally translating to “mountain and water,” is a tradition in Chinese ink painting that began in the 4th Century. This art form intricately depicts natural landscapes, featuring quintessential elements such as mountains, waterfalls, bridges, houses, rivers, and the refined scholars who inhabit these serene environments. Shan Shui employs a unique artistic vocabulary and compositional techniques, such as “level distance,” “high distance,” and “profound distance,” using scattered point perspective to evoke a profound sense of balance and harmony.
Central to creating a sense of balance, there are three conceptual components: “paths,” “thresholds,” and “heart.” These elements interconnect, guiding viewers through the landscape as if they were walking in the landscape from the artist's point of view. As Shan Shui continues to evolve, it integrates the five classical Chinese elements, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, adding layers of meaning and stylistic depth to the paintings.
These elements are intrinsically linked to the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui (風水), which translates to “wind and water.” Feng Shui is a complex system that helps in understanding the dynamic and harmonious forces of the environment. There are two primary schools of thought within Feng Shui: the “Compass” branch and the “Form” branch. The Compass branch relies on the Bagua (八卦), or “eight trigrams,” to interpret directional qi (氣), utilizing a magnetic compass and traditional Chinese cosmology. Conversely, the Form branch focuses on the physical shapes and forms of the environment, such as mountains, rivers, rocks, and buildings, associating these forms with various animals, objects, and their corresponding attributes, whether auspicious or inauspicious.
In this connection, my work explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence to generate Shan Shui landscapes and the Form branch of Feng Shui. By training AI with traditional Shan Shui and Feng Shui principles, new artworks emerge that are then interpreted through computer vision technology. This process identifies and incorporates signified animals and objects based on Form branch concepts, investigating their potential resonance with human observers.
Computer vision accentuates different forms within the landscape, prompting a reconsideration of the distinctions in observation and perception between humans and machines. The identified forms echo the principles of the Form branch in Feng Shui, encouraging a reevaluation of the relationships between humans, Shan Shui, and the natural world.
The artwork Learning Shan Shui, Generating Feng Shui encapsulates these ideas, proposing a novel perspective on appreciating Shan Shui paintings and Feng Shui principles. It also reflects on the implications of AI and computer vision in the creation of landscapes, aiming to reconnect us with nature in this era of technological and machine intelligence.
