Kuai Shen is a transdisciplinary mediator of ant worlds. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Ciências Sociais, University of Lisbon, for the Abide Project. His practice-led research specializes in ants through technology-based performances that combine multispecies ethnography with decolonial tactics. He operates diverse electronic, audiovisual, and coding processes using transversal methods as weaving actions to register ant behaviors and create data and algorithmic-driven artworks.
His recent PhD developed the concept of inverted aesthesis: an alternative exploration of invertebrate sensorial abilities and human-ant relationships that oppose conventional representations of ants within dominant research imaginaries. His ant studies have been published in journals such as Society & Animals, Antennae, Art & Australia, Acoustic Space, and books like “Distributed Perception” by Routledge. His artworks have been commissioned by Eli Broad Museum, FACT Liverpool, National Art Gallery Vilnius, House of Arts Brno, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Quito. He has been awarded stipends and prizes, such as Musikfonds, Bridge from Michigan State University, the Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture’s Award, the Edith-Russ-Haus Media Art Prize, and the honorary mention at Prix Ars Electronica.
Contributions to Humans & Nature Press:
• Weaving rain shelters: Turning with rhythm with the rain ants of Sarayaku
Additional Noteworthy Links:
Website: https://kuaishen.tv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kuaishen/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kuaishen
