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In the name of ethnic unity, the term “Sinicization” describes policies aimed at erasing the cultural differences and historical traditions of ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities in the People’s Republic of China.

Drawing on different investigative approaches, Sensing Sinicization brings together three projects that trace the contemporary manifestations of this term in its various forms.

As a guiding theme, “sensing” is understood not only as individual cognition, but also as sensing technology that extends awareness beyond human perception, and as “making sense”, a common ground for shared understanding.

Through street-view data, the media art group Total View tracks changes in urban architecture in publicly available panoramic images. By appropriating pattern-recognition software commonly used in self-driving cars, the project examines assimilation policies through algorithms that usually remain hidden.

With a shell that holds its seeds tightly together, the pomegranate serves as a symbol of ethnic unity. Quyang’s Pomegranates traces the manufactured origins of this symbol and its sculptural representations.

Set within the supply chain itself, Sample Room moves away from visible manifestations and historical origins. The project treats commercial samples, unfinished prototypes shown at trade fairs and on online commerce platforms, as a sampling method for probing current events.

The exhibition is accompanied by an artist talk and a panel discussion with Vivien Chang and Felix Brender, made possible through the support of the FNF Global Innovation Hub.