Rhett Tsai (蔡宇潇) is a Chinese artist focusing on immersive technologies, video, and experimental video game narrative practices. His works often approach from the perspective of technological society and cultural identity, using contemporary digital tools to construct the alternative histories, exploring the sense of alienation, ambiguous identities, and individual dilemmas under multiple historical narratives. In 2023, Tsai won the “HUA Award” at the Lumen Prize (UK) and was a finalist at the Independent Games Festival (US). In 2024, he was a finalist at the Arte Laguna Prize (IT).

Tsai’s works have been exhibited at the Venetian Arsenal (IT), National Art Museum of China (CN), Moscone Center (US), Annka Kultys Gallery (UK), Macau Museum of Art (CN-MO), Shanghai Exhibition Center (CN), Chicago Art Department (US),Sónar Festival (ES), CURRENTS New Media Festival (US), Intermedia Art Festival (CN), Milan Machinima Festival (IT), Festival ECRÃ (BR), Utopian Dystopia Art Festival (IN), and Kortrijk Design Week (BE). He teaches in the Open Media Department at the School of Intermedia Art, China Academy of Art, and is currently based in Hangzhou, China.

Artist Statement

My media art practice spans immersive technologies, videos, experimental video games, and sound. Confronting the discourses and power structures that shape today’s technological revolution, media society, and cultural identity, I use contemporary digital tools to create interactive virtual spaces infused with literary experiences, uncovering the sense of alienation, ambiguous identities, and individual dilemmas that emerge from these conditions.

Deeply influenced by research on electronic literature and literary video games, my narratives explore hybrid forms between video games, expanded cinema, and contemporary media art. Through experimental literary computer games, virtual reality installations, and high-definition 3D-rendered imagery, my works critically reflect on and appropriate the imagery of technology, war, and cultural identity in our media-driven world—including the mysticism of Fujianese culture, which profoundly shapes my perspective. Within these literary virtual spaces, I construct dark, obscure, and grotesque alternative histories and near-future visions.

Rooted in skepticism toward the narratives constructed by technology, culture, and politics, my work often takes on a tone of irony, absurdity, and dystopian critique. By foregrounding the alienation of contemporary individuals shaped by these forces, I seek to explore a critical question: “If new conditions have made us inevitable exiles, then what exactly is the homeland we have lost? And what does this estrangement truly mean?”

蔡宇潇（Rhett Tsai）是一位中国艺术家，专注于沉浸式技术、影像、实验性视频游戏的叙事实践。他的作品常从技术社会和文化身份的角度出发，用当代数字工具构建替代性历史，探讨多重历史叙事下的异乡感、含糊身份以及个体困境。2023年，他获得英国流明艺术科技奖（the Lumen Prize）的「華艺数奖」与美国独立游戏节（Independent Games Festival）的最终提名。2024年，他获得拉古纳艺术奖（Arte Laguna Prize）的最终提名（2024）。

蔡宇潇的作品曾在威尼斯军械库（意大利）、中国美术馆（中国）、莫斯康展览中心（美国）、Annka Kultys Gallery（英国）、澳门艺术博物馆（中国）、上海展览中心（中国）、芝加哥艺术部门（美国）、Sónar 电子艺术节（西班牙）、CURRENTS 圣达菲国际新媒体艺术节（美国）、跨媒体艺术节（中国）、米兰引擎电影节（意大利）、ECRÃ 艺术节（巴西）、Utopian Dystopia 艺术节（印度）、科特赖克设计周（比利时）展出。他任教于中国美术学院跨媒体艺术学院开放媒体系，居于杭州。

创作自述

我的媒体艺术实践涉及沉浸式技术、影像、实验性视频游戏与声音，我的实践直面由当今的技术革命、媒介社会以及文化身份构建的话语和权力，使用当代数字工具创建带有文学体验的互动虚拟空间，挖掘由这一系列当代状况引发的异乡感、含糊身份与个体困境。

我的作品叙事深受关于电子文学和文学视频游戏（literary videogames）的研究的影响，探索视频游戏、延展电影和当代媒体艺术的中间形态。基于实验性的文学电脑游戏、虚拟现实装置和高清渲染三维影像的形式，我的作品反思与挪用存在于当代媒体社会中的技术、战争与文化身份的图像——包括影响我至深的福建神秘主义文化，在文学性的虚拟空间中构建黑暗、晦涩且怪诞的替代性的历史空间或近未来图景。

出于对技术、文化和政治的话语构建的质疑，我的作品经常是反讽、荒诞和歹托邦式的。通过着重表现这一系列状况所引发的当代个体的疏离感，我的作品试图探讨这一关键问题：「如果新的状况使我们不可避免地成为了异乡人，那么失去的家乡到底为何物？这一疏离到底意味着什么？」