Global

The Symbiosis of Silicon and Carbon Life Forms: Robots, Embodied Intelligence and Arts

In the context of planetary thinking, 'symbiosis' is no longer limited to naturally evolved living organisms.

Technical artefacts have become significant actors on this planet. This raises fundamental questions: should robots and other artificial life forms be incorporated into symbiotic networks alongside natural organisms? Can embodied intelligence be considered a distinct form of life? As the robotics industry continues to develop, how could it facilitate dialogue between technology, art, and the humanities? How can robots and agents promote artistic creation and philosophical reflection? 

Building on these reflections, we invite artists, scholars and experts to share their perspectives and insights across science, technology, and creative practice. The conversation will examine how embodied intelligence is reshaping our understanding of machines, interaction, and agency, and ask what new forms of coexistence might emerge as robots become increasingly present in our everyday environments.

Program

Moderator: Jo Wei

18:30-19:00 – Registration

19:00-19:05 – Opening Remarks

19:05-19:15 – Drift of the Uncharted: A Speculative Fiction About Rising Sea-Level Landscapes through Robotic Performance – Ary-Yue Huang, PhD Candidate, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

19:10-19:20 – What Will Machines Remember About Us: AI, Objects, and Robotic Memory – Ziyang Wu, Chair of Open Media Department, School of Intermedia Art, China Academy of Art

19:20-19:30 – TBC, Robotics Engineer

19:30-19:40 – Yanwen Li, Doctoral Supervisor, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University

19:40-20:30 – Panel Discussion

20:30-21:00 – Light Reception

Speakers

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    Bio

    Ary-Yue Huang

    PhD Candidate, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

    Huang Yue is a media artist and researcher whose current work focuses on agent-based art, encompassing software agents and physical robots, with an interest in the modelling behavior, evolution, aesthetic of behavior of the agent. His earlier artistic practice centred around speculative fiction, kinetic installation, and machine learning. In recent years, his works have been exhibited at international venues and film festivals including Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria), Image Forum Festival (Japan), Slamdance Film Festival, GLAS Animation Festival (USA), Asia Digital Art Exhibition (China) etc. His research has been published at SIGGRAPH, ARTECH, VISAP, ISEA.

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    Bio

    Ziyang Wu

    Chair of Open Media Department, School of Intermedia Art, China Academy of Art

    Ziyang Wu is an artist based in Hangzhou. His recent practices examine how current technologies, in a cross-cultural context, affect politics, society, and the explicit and implicit relationships between things at both macro and micro levels. His works have exhibited internationally, including Venice Biennale, ICA Philadelphia, M+ Museum, Rhizome at the New Museum, Walker Art Center, PinchukArtCentre, Seoul Mediacity Biennale, UCCA, Power Station of Art, HEK Basel, Ars Electronica, SIGGRAPH Asia, SXSW, By Art Matters Museum, and TANK Shanghai. He was a finalist for the 7th VH Award (2026), shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize (2024) and was awarded “The Randall Chair” at Alfred University (2022). He has also participated in artist residency programs at MacDowell, Residency Unlimited (RU) and Institute for Electronic Arts (IEA). He is the department head of Open Media at School of Intermedia Art at China Academy of Art, and is a former member of NEW INC at the New Museum.

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    Bio

    Yanwen Li

    Robotic Scientist, 100 Young Professor, College of Control Science and Technology, Zhejiang University

    I received my B.S. degree from Harbin Institute of Technology in Jun. 2019 and my Ph.D. degree from Tsinghua University in Jan. 2024. I subsequently joined ETH Zurich as a Postdoctoral Researcher (Feb. 2024 – Oct. 2025) and was promoted to Senior Scientist in Nov. 2025. My research focuses on neuromorphic computing for embodied intelligence. Over the past five years, I have published more than 10 papers in top-tier journals, including PNAS, Nano Energy, and Physics of Fluids, and have been granted over 20 patents in China and abroad, including three U.S. patents. My research achievements have received more than 10 international scientific and technological awards, including six gold medals. My work has been featured by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Xinhua News Agency, ETH News, and Tsinghua University Graduate Affairs. In addition, I have been invited to deliver plenary, keynote, and invited talks at multiple international conferences.

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