Nick Dong: 11 to 88, An Immersive Solo Exhibition

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is excited to announce Nick Dong: 11 to 88, an immersive solo exhibition by the visionary craftsman, sculptor, and engineer. The Oakland-based artist merges the ethos of Wen-ren--a Chinese intellectual lineage that values the creation of each work as a quest for self-evolution--with 21st century scientific precision. Fascinated by the beauty of the unknowable, Dong creates mesmerizing and expansive works made up of various interactive components, including sound, light, and mirrors. Dong sees his immersive installations as complete only once a viewer enters the space, with the visitor as an essential component of the piece.

This exhibition is part of an ambitious long-term project to develop 88 interconnected works, which the artist aims to culminate in 2028. It is curated by independent curator Martin Strickland and will include the first 11 works; each of which reflect a piece of this larger process and offer a glimpse of Dong's fully realized vision.

"I believe that art should take a leading role in providing the inspiration needed for healing," said Nick Dong. "Drawing from the auspicious symbols of Buddhism, I plan to craft 88 works and correlate them with 11 stages of human life. The complete body of work will include 88 pieces of experiential sculpture, objects, and installations, created to engage audiences beyond the optical--reflecting a deep and profound journey of creation, spirituality, and calmness."

Inspired by these universal themes, Nick Dong: 11 to 88 explores the intersection of spirituality and the tangible world, evident in the interplay of light and sound in Dong's work. As the objects on display are approached, they will light up, naturally drawing the flow and focus from one work to another. Visitors will also be invited to enter two immersive illuminated rooms.

Among these will be Dharma Wheel of Ego & Egoless, a newly imagined immersive room inspired by the "movement" of the Dharma Wheel--which typically connotes the spreading of Buddhist teachings. In the mirrored room, viewers will encounter countless reflections of themselves. Sitting at the center of the installation, light and sound will activate as 24 movable walls transform the space. Here, Dong offers a space where worldly achievements, fears, pressures, and material wealth vanish, leading to a state of ego-lessness and the experience of true inner peace and freedom.

"We are very excited to invite visitors in to experience Nick Dong's beautiful and meditative work," said YBCA interim CEO Jim Rettew. "Dong brings together complex ideas and incredible craftsmanship, and uses them to create immersive experiences that will be accessible to visitors of all ages. In doing so, he encourages viewers to explore new perspectives and find beauty in vulnerability, offering a meaningful and powerful encounter with art."

Also on view will be Lotus of Impermanence, a sculpture inspired by the surface of water and adorned with over 100,000 mosaic mirror pieces. Up close, it resembles undulating waves, while from a distance, it appears as a calm and unchanging horizontal plane, reflecting the flow and constancy of life. At the center of the piece rests an otherworldly lotus which rotates slowly, seemingly navigating through the unpredictable encounters and changes in life.

Together, the objects on view serve as an invitation into Dong's artistic practice--emphasizing the transformative power of the experience over any final product. Through this exhibition Dong invites visitors to join his introspective journey and allow themselves to be transformed within this active space.