Célin Jiang

Célin Jiang is a French artist-researcher whose interdisciplinary work intersects art, technology, and digital humanities. Rooted in cyberfeminism and a decolonial perspective, her practice explores the dissident potential of art in the “phygital” space of social networks, questioning global identity and cultural hybridization. She graduated with honors from HEAR in 2018 and has since participated in prestigious research programs across France, including ENSAD Nancy and the École universitaire de recherche ArTeC. In 2023, she was selected as one of the Promises 2023 by Le Monde.

Author Credit:

Joy CHEN，Raymond DING，Ashley WEI，Jenny ZHAO，Autumn Zhuge

（MD 2024，MDCCM 2024）

The series of art interview was completed by the students of the ICCI course "Digital Curatorial Management", and is a practical part of the ICCI ART VALLEY Program.

Overview of Artist Work

Think of an artist who builds bridges between our everyday world and the new frontier of digital technology. This is what Célin Jiang does. She's interested in how we all experience life in this technology-filled world.

She looks at important questions like: How does modern technology shape the way we see ourselves and our cultural identity? She's particularly interested in examining why certain digital characters (think virtual influencers or digital celebrities) become popular and what this says about our society.

Her latest work, called "Trans Techno Rococo," was shown at an important art exhibition in Venice. It's primarily a sound experience where visitors can explore a unique artistic space through a virtual character named Bisou Magique 茜茜. This character guides people through a world made of carefully crafted sounds, creating a journey that's both artistic and thought-provoking.

This work asks us to think about how technology affects our daily lives and how we connect with each other in today's digital age. It's like stepping into a new world where art, technology, and human experience come together in interesting ways.

TRANS TECHNO ROCOCO, Célin Jiang © Adagp, Paris, 2024, Live performance, installation, sound sculptures, variable dimensions, 50', the Luxembourg Pavilion, 60th International Art Exhibition-La Biennale di Venezia

The distinctive feature of "Trans Techno Rococo" lies in its sophisticated blend of traditional and modern elements. The artist has chosen the Hulusi, a traditional Chinese wind instrument, and skillfully combined its melodic sounds with technologically generated audio elements. This combination creates more than just a musical piece - it produces an environment that completely surrounds and engages the audience.

At a deeper level, the work addresses significant issues in our contemporary society. Through its carefully arranged soundscape, the artist encourages us to consider several important questions: How do we present ourselves in this digital age? To what extent are our actions monitored and influenced by various systems? How do our different roles in society (such as professional identity, family roles) interact with and affect each other?

This artistic creation serves as a mirror to our modern life, prompting us to reflect on how technology has become interwoven with our daily experiences, and how this affects our sense of identity and personal freedom. The combination of traditional musical elements with modern sounds creates a powerful metaphor for the way we navigate between cultural heritage and technological progress in our contemporary world.

Interview Célin Jiang

Keywords

different bias/ social media/ technology/ real me/ Bisou Magique 茜茜/ female entity/ AI tools/ algorithm/ the Internet inequality

Ashley: we will discuss technology as a tool. We know that you have an avatar called Bisou Magique 茜茜. I’m curious about how the Internet shapes the idea of a "new me" and how this avatar helps you define your identity online.

Célin: Very interesting question. Bisou Magique 茜茜 is an altered version of myself, a character I created as a response to my deeply unequal experiences with racism and sexism. At some point, I began questioning my identity within society——not in terms of the Internet or technology, but rather how social, economic and political environments shape one’s sense of self. Much like many artists in art history who have explored alternate "selves" or questioned how they might be perceived differently, I sought to explore this through my work.

I started embodying the concept of Bisou Magique 茜茜, a French expression associated with healing and repair. This became not just a preparation for myself but also a way to support peers and others facing any form of discrimination.

Digital double being created, 3D modeling, with the Digital Image and Virtual Reality laboratory (INREV) within the Doctoral School Aesthetics, Sciences and Technologies of the Arts (EDESTA) of the University of Paris 8 (FR) in collaboration with Cedric Plessiet (right)

Ashley: So do you think your image on the Internet accurately represents you, or is there any difference between this online identity and your true self?

Célin: I think, regardless of the interface——whether you’re looking at me through a camera lens, a smartphone, or a video on any smart device——biases always exist, and you always look different. The notion of authenticity becomes questionable. What is authentic? What is yourself? What is your true self? I believe capitalism has managed to consume and commodify everything in society, including our identities.

For instance, some of my friends saw Bisou Magique 茜茜 during one of my performances and said, “This is so you” or “This is totally you.” They recognized elements of Bisou Magique 茜茜 and identified them with who I might be in daily life. Of course, this avatar comes from me, and it doesn’t come out of nowhere. But maybe it’s a more exaggerated or alternate version of myself or even one of my many selves. I think we’re all very complex. We’re never binary. We’re never just happy or sad.

Ashley: Yes, I think this image is very effective for you as an artist. Actually, you’ve asked for our thoughts on the topic of the Internet before, and now I have some reflections on it. For instance, in China, WeChat is our main social media platform. Suppose today the sunlight is beautiful, so I take a selfie——or maybe 20 pictures—but I choose only the best one. I might even retouch it with Photoshop to look more beautiful before posting it on Moments.

Afterward, I might receive lots of comments and likes, but that photo isn’t the real me. Yet, I still seek validation through those reactions. This makes me wonder: Am I losing myself on the Internet? When I look at others’ posts, I also compare myself to their standards. I think this creates a dilemma for me. Perhaps it’s what people call appearance anxiety. I feel it’s a significant issue in China, though it might not be the same in France.

Célin: It's the same situation everywhere in the world because technology has influenced many of our intimate thoughts and how we perceive ourselves based on social approval. Before the advent of these devices and effective social networks, we often sought to present ourselves in specific ways within the social spaces of others. For example, you might have tried to dress a certain way or wear makeup. Now, with technology, you don't necessarily need makeup or specific clothing; you can just use software like Photoshop or AI to apply makeup to your face and make yourself look great, or even completely different. I know this is creating a lot of mental health issues in younger generations.

I grew up during the shift to the internet. Well, you all grew up with the internet already in place, but it's not that different. I feel like in the West, when I was 14, I started using Facebook when it first appeared, and I became totally addicted to it. I was addicted to the likes and to people commenting on my photos. I wanted to share so much about myself, but at 14, I just wanted to look cool because I was a teenager. That's something we all go through.

But now, as an artist, as an adult, and as someone with a critical perspective on these issues, I think this is really wrong. I use the technology, and I’ve really embraced it. I go to extremes to show you how wrong it is. That's why many of my works focus on selfies or social networks. I also do a lot of live streaming. As you said, when you experience something in your daily life, like finding the sun beautiful, the way we share that through these platforms——does it really create closeness, or does it create more distance? Do you feel closer to people who share online things you can appreciate, like the sun? Or do you feel like you'd rather be with them in person, enjoying the sun, rather than just seeing a photo of it?

Ashley: That's true, we cannot shorten our distance through comments and likes.

Célin: And have you ever tried not posting any moments for 3 months? How do you think people would react? They'd probably say, "Where have you been? What have you been doing?" Or they might say, "Oh, I’ve missed you. I was looking for you." But you know, they don't actually write to you. They just wait for you to post something so they can react. That's totally wrong. It really changes the way we communicate and the way we relate to and identify with each other. It's no longer about messages or voicemails with personal touches, like someone wondering, "Hey, how have you been lately?" Now, they just wait for a casual post to react to, and that's it. I don't even know what kind of society we're moving toward. It’s really, really shifting.

Jenny: As you mentioned, bias can be caused by the Internet or software. In China, we primarily use WeChat and Xiaohongshu, which have different preferences and can create distinct biases about our true selves. While not everyone may be an artist, especially for the younger generation, they are creating new types of selfies. For instance, on WeChat, we share personal matters with friends, while on Xiaohongshu, we encounter a path to success which seems need no efforts. This app encourages users to aspire for success, often presenting an unrealistic image: "You need to be beautiful, smart, and do everything so easily." This is the underlying message of Xiaohongshu.

Additionally, many of these apps have become monopolies in the industry. We once believed that new technologies were designed to enhance communication, but now platforms like WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Facebook, and Twitter often contribute to social inequality. What are your thoughts on how these apps create bias among us?

MY BEST EMOTIONS — HARD DISCOUNT OF (#SELF) LOVE

Célin Jiang © Adagp, Paris, 2023, Digital images, 79 cm x 59 cm, exhibited at "TRANSPERIPHERIES — Territories and artistic residencies", from May 13 to July 13.

Célin: So first we have to think of the aesthetic. Each platform have their own aesthetic. Aesthetics pertains to design. When you engage in design, you also engage in construction, which leads to creation. This process involves knowing how to create and discern quality and suitability, concepts fundamentally related to marketing. It's like I would prepare a product, I would prepare a perfect selfie for Xiaohongsu because the audience of Xiahongsu is looking for a laid back, chill attitude.

As you browse online, you may aspire to become an influencer or seek fame, possibly equating fame with love. However, if we delve into the philosophical implications of cyclical ecological and human relationships, we must question the necessity of influencing others or feeling significant to strangers. Are your connections with your community authentic, or are they entirely mediated and alienated by algorithms and technology?

So first of all, the Internet is a very unique system. Not everyone have access to the same Internet and not everyone have access to the same devices. Like in China these recent years, Huawei was able to create better smartphones. But before, most of people liked Apple iPhones. And then before that, it was another company and etc. But if you realize the Internet was invented by US military system. So it was first used as a military war tool. It's a very dirty history, and that's why it's still not as good as it should be.

And the thing is, during the evolution of the Internet, some people really thought and wanted the Internet to be an open access space, like everyone could learn and anyone could share the knowledge and there would be no copyleft. There's a movement that is about copyright and it's very interesting. I invite you to search about the copyright. It was made by some artists, some researchers, some scientists. They wanted to make a copyright statement like sharing knowledge and anything that we could be shared freely without any platform that you have to pay for.

Jenny: Z-library, have you heard of this website?

Célin: Yeah, exactly. Like, Wikipedia, for example, comes from this logic of getting free access. But the thing is, if we dive into Wikipedia, like anyone can write on Wikipedia. But just as you can see, not everyone post selfies on them, and not everyone post comments or make articles on Wikipedia. And there's a very interesting research that was brought to the reality of Wikipedia. It's only the same kind of people who write the same kind of articles. That is wrong, which means there is a lot of biases. And if you go from one language to another language, the knowledge they get will also be different.

And there are two very interesting French artists. They are cyber feminists and they create their own version of Wikipedia to repair the reality of female writers, scientists, researchers, like female important figures in the history because of partiality, we know that female history is false. Like the story of woman was always told by men. And they have their gaze and their biases to tell the story of these are that woman. And it's very interesting as well, because on Wikipedia, you can see the archive who modified the article. And there's a thing about some politicians in France or some very rich and important entrepreneurs, their Wikipedia pages will always be like perfect success stories. And if you look at the archive, some people who wrote the truth or the dirty things that did these sentences were deleted by the same user. So it means this very important person has paid someone to check all the information online and always change it. So within censorship, inequality among all these structures, like none of them are free and none of them are fair.

Ashley: In one of your works, Adelphe, you used AI as a tool to create images. Could you share more about that process? For example, what kind of prompts did you use?

Célin: My prompts are highly descriptive. I typically write around 15 phrases and deliberately avoid using figurative language. I refrain from terms like "woman" or "man," as well as specific pronouns, because I want the images to be non-gendered. It's important for me that the work rend to be decolonial and cyber-feminist. My goal is for the images to be both non-gendered and non-figurative. For instance, I might describe an "eerie atmosphere that evokes water."

I focus on conveying emotions and moods, often using terms like "hybrid entity." I frequently use the word "entity" to describe a blend of various characteristics, such as "the entity has skin resembling a snake that’s been burned by lava." These are concepts I’ve never encountered before but wish to imagine. Alternatively, I might say, "an entity with a humanoid face on snake skin."

Creating these images poses a significant challenge for the AI model—it's nearly impossible. Each time I include the word "face," the AI tends to generate a human face, often a female one, and usually a white female face. To avoid this, I must specify in the prompt what I want to exclude, such as "no white faces, no female faces, no light skin."

Additionally, my prompts include details about camera movement, specifying how far the scene should be from the viewer, whether it should be close or distant, and how the camera should rotate, for example, panning left to right. I also clarify the desired aesthetic.

Raymond: So for now, my understanding is that you created images based on your brainstorming process. Did you change things dynamically as you went along, or did you make sketches in advance?