Tuengel, a large-scale immersive new media installation by Prof. Wang Zhigang, Director of the Department of Information Art and Design at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, and Doctoral Supervisor, officially opened at Science Gallery Melbourne. The work is featured in the exhibition EMERGENCE[Y], a core program of RISING 2026, Melbourne’s premier international arts festival.
Created in 2024, Tuengel employs a “future archaeology” methodology: hundreds of decommissioned PCs, blade servers, fiber optics, and network cables are physically deconstructed, stacked, and woven into a monumental spatial sculpture, an “electronic jungle.” Here, cold e-waste is recontextualized as fossilized relics of human civilization. Integrated with AIGC-generated dynamic visuals, the work evokes a post-digital “electronic wasteland,” where primal beliefs and intelligent machines interweave. Through cross-media storytelling, it metaphorizes the nomadic and symbiotic relationships among humans, animals, and AI, presenting a grand allegory on technological succession and ecological sustainability.
Curated by Tilly Boleyn, Head of Curatorial at Science Gallery Melbourne, EMERGENCE[Y] brings together international interdisciplinary researchers, scientists, and artists to examine human and non-human survival strategies amid ecological crisis, technological acceleration, and societal upheaval.
At the exhibition, Tuengel is presented alongside works by other globally renowned artists, fostering cross-cultural dialogues on ecological care, electronic ruins, and digital archaeology. The exhibition’s opening remarks and presentations were delivered directly within the immersive space of the installation, allowing guests to experience the dialogue between e-waste and AI-generated imagery firsthand. The work prompts viewers to question the balance between technological progress and ecological sustainability. As Prof. Wang Zhigang notes: “The more advanced our technology becomes, the more urgently we must ask: For what purpose?”
As a pioneer in the integration of art and technology in China, Prof. Wang has long focused his research on immersive new media art, spatial narratives, and technology-driven performing arts. He also serves as Deputy Director of the Digital Art Committee of the China Artists Association.
Since its debut at the 2nd Beijing Art and Technology Biennale (BATB) in October 2024, Tuengel has been exhibited globally at major academic and artistic platforms, including the “Infinite Immersion” section of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival, the HOW Art Museum in Shanghai, and the Hengqin-Macau International Digital Art Expo. In early 2026, a special “three-tower version” of the installation was invited to the 10th Beijing International Art Biennale’s “Human-AI Symbiosis” digital art exhibition. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Prof. Wang was awarded the “Annual Innovation in Art & Technology” honor at the 2024 Harper's Bazaar Art Awards.
Exhibition Information
Tuengel
EMERGENCE[Y]
RISING Melbourne 2026 × Science Gallery Melbourne
Venue: Science Gallery Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
Dates: 5 June – 5 December 2026
Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Professor Wang Zhigang at the exhibition site of EMERGENCE[Y]
Photo by Ma Qi
Professor Wang Zhigang (center) engaging with visitors at the EMERGENCE[Y] exhibition site
Photo by Astrid Mulder
