Chando Ao

Chando Ao operates between two complementary modes: intimate, introspective paintings and expansive, interactive systems that incorporate robotics, software, unconventional materials, and everyday objects. These installations are designed for direct engagement, encouraging viewers to touch, climb, embrace, and interact with the work. This dual approach reflects Ao's dual perspective as an artist—turning inward to explore personal perception, while simultaneously crafting experiences that communicate sensory and emotional truths beyond words. Ao's practice often leans toward reduction, inspired by artists like Doris Salcedo and Mark Rothko, who evoke powerful emotions with minimal elements. The simplified medium in his work serves to distill the message, functioning as a tool to convey refined content. For instance, in a recent proposal, he envisioned a wall-mounted robotic arm controlling a whimsical wooden palm, delicately cradling a rolling bead of water in perpetual motion. The water droplet is a mixture of the Yangtze River, which flows through Fengdu, where Ao grew up, and the Hudson River in New York, where he is currently based. This symbolizes the intersection of time and space, blending his past and present experiences. Mixing the two rivers' water represents his values, perspectives, and knowledge, which emerge from a fusion of experiences rather than being tied to a single place. ...