NONEYE YI
NONEYE/YI, a multidisciplinary programmer and new media artist from Taipei, Taiwan, combines technology and art to craft immersive experiences. Born in 1991, he delved into the fusion of technology and creativity in 2010, exploring various mediums like theatre, performances, and installations. In 2016, he co-founded NAXS Corp with a vision to explore contemporary senses, rituals, and internet aesthetics. Utilizing game engines like Unity3D, NONEYE/YI creates virtual spaces across VR, web, installations, and performances. Inspired by sci-fi, Buddhist philosophy, and AI research, he views information as the fundamental unit, driving his exploration of AI and new technologies. His latest project, "Invisible General," a collaboration with Meuko! Meuko!, merges Taiwanese tradition with modern life experiences, reflecting on spirituality in the digital age.
Hello, how are you? Thank you for being here with us. Let’s start by presenting who is behind NONEYE/YI.
Hi, my name is Yi Kuo, born in 1991, a multidisciplinary programmer and new media artist based and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. I enjoy using images, programming, sound, and installations to create transformative spaces and experiences.
I have a background in design, but began exploring the combination of technology and art in 2010, experimenting with various theatre, parties, and installations. In 2016, I and my partners released Render Ghost, an immersive VR performance that also served as a transformation ritual inspired by KORA (a ritual in Tibetan Buddhism). That same year, we founded NAXS Corp.
Since then, me and NAXS have created various VR experiences, Audio Visual performances, multiplayer online exhibitions and performances. We also started a tech startup, Protoworld.
The about section of NAXS website reads: “Founded in 2016, NAXS corp. is a Taipei based art practice that combines a wide range of disciplines including theater, installation and audiovisual live performance. They focus on the transformation of contemporary senses, body, desire, ritual and internet aesthetics.” Please tell us more about the company and the vision of the platform for the future.
NAXS Corp originally stood for "Network Afterlife Existence Storage Cooperation". To me now, it means an aspiration to find soul and divinity in the digital age, and the possibility of creating a sanctuary. I feel this pursuit will never end, so let's just see where it goes.
Your visual works seem very driven by the gaming culture. I was wondering if you were a gamer and whether gaming influenced your research.
Like many boys of my age, I grew up with games like Diablo, Counter Strike, and was hooked on Overwatch a few years ago. To me, gaming is a natural space, there is no fundamental difference from physical reality. Although the soul-bandwidth of current virtual spaces is still very limited, they hold great potential to give us more freedom, allowing us to transcend geographical, racial, and gender boundaries to understand each other. As a creator, I’m aspired to build such spaces.
Since 2016, I have been using game engines as my primary creative tool, mainly Unity3D. It allows me to create virtual spaces for the same concept across VR, web, installations, and performances. However, it also somewhat shapes or restricts the way I express myself.
What are the references and inspirations for your work?
Growing up, my main inspirations were sci-fi movies, novels, and anime. Visiting temples and experiencing nature also inspired me a lot. In recent years, I have been haphazardly learning about Buddhist and various religious traditions, various neurosciences and AI research, physics, information theory, and trying to find connections between them.
Any clue about finding those connections?
I now like to see information as the basic unit, viewing everything (nature and technology, DNA and memes, human and AI language, physical particles and planets) as the flow of messages. They continuously evolve and reincarnate. This idea is inspired by a jumble of concepts such as physicist John Wheeler's "It from Bit," Buddhist views on dependent origination and karma, and Richard Dawkins' theory of memes.
On your projects, starting from ID0 back in 2021, topics such as artificial intelligence, post-internet society, and digital species are recurrent. What’s your relationship with Artificial Intelligence (and new technologies in general) and how your aesthetic and artistic research is affected by the development of new technologies? Is it technology that influences you or is it you that drives the technology towards your ideas?
It is definitely a mutual influence. I like to see both technology and people as part of nature. We are constantly changed by technology and continually create it. In the river of information, so-called artists are just pebbles floating along, shaped by but also changing the currents.
The development of AI is undoubtedly an important theme of our era. I feel it’s a mirror that reflects the limitations of our language, and society. I also believe it will give birth to new wisdom, whether it’s based on carbon or silicon.
Let’s talk about your latest project “Invisible General”. Please tell us more about the project and your collaboration with Meuko! Meuko!
Invisible General is a Live Audio-Visual performance co-produced with Meuko! Meuko! Inspired by a unique small temple that worships a rock, we wanted to blend the Taiwanese tradition of venerating the solitary spirits with our own life experiences, conveying this to the audience during live performances. We are all wandering souls on the internet, who may over time consolidate into spiritual rocks.
You are from Taiwan and living in Taiwan, but you are constantly touring in Europe. What’s the difference that you see regarding how the audience perceive your performance, in Asia and in Europe?
What would you import to Taiwan from Europe (or the West) and what would you export to Europe (the West) from Taiwan?
Electronic music and RAVE culture originated in the West, so naturally, European audiences have a broader acceptance and a deeper understanding of this culture. From my limited observation, the electronic music culture in Europe can be compared to the traditional religious culture in Taiwan, serving as a ritual and celebration that connects communities and explores spirituality. What we are doing is linking the common aspects of both, hoping that Asia's traditional cultures can offer Western audiences some fresh ideas and also hoping to create celebrations that better satisfy contemporary audiences from these traditional cultures.
“Rituals” is a word that has emerged very often in this interview. Can we go deeper a little and explain your fascination with rituals?
To me, a ritual is about creating a transformative space and event, a transition between two states. In my personal journey and in our work with NAXS, we began thinking about rituals from designing installations for underground parties, and this has extended into all of our creations. A ritual can be an artistic experience, or it could be climbing a mountain or having a meal. Rituals are still relatively common in our physical lives. However, in the online world, the trivial and chaotic nature of feeds seems to make us forget the importance and possibilities of rituals.
Continuing on the topic of Asia, how is the current situation in Taiwan for new media arts? From Europe, it seems that it is thriving. Especially in the CGI field, the most interesting things that I see on social media are coming from Taiwan and South Korea…
Taiwan, like many Asian countries, is still rapidly developing and changing. Given our history of oppression, we have a strong motivation to use new technologies to create new identities, and also to learn and transform local cultures. The Taiwanese government also recognizes this and is quite proactive in supporting this industry.
Both Taiwan and Korea have strong technology sectors, but the experimental art in Southeast Asia is also very vibrant. The energy to transform traditional culture into modern language is very impressive and admirable.
I'm very lucky to have been born in Taiwan, which to me is a unique utopia of our time. Especially its ambiguous political status provides us with a unique freedom.
To conclude, what are you working on at the moment? New projects, besides touring with your latest performance?
There are many ideas in my mind, but it’s hard to say for sure at this moment. VR rituals, AI experimental theatre, and more. So please stay tuned 🖤
UMANESIMO ARTIFICIALE
@umanesimo.artificiale / @transmediaresearch.institute
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