Meet Shuang Cai

 

We recently connected with Shuang Cai and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shuang, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience for me comes from three key sources: humor, community, and creativity. One perfect example of these three coming together is the Spamtember show at All Street. The event transformed something as trivial as a spam message into an opportunity for laughter and playful exploration, using humor to diffuse the stress of creative challenges. Community was at the heart of Spamtember, as 19 artists came together to collaborate and share in the collective process, turning a spontaneous idea into something meaningful. And, of course, creativity fueled the event, with artists reimagining SPAM in inventive ways, from sculptures to memes, all challenging conventional ideas of cultural identity. Spamtember showed how these three elements—humor, community, and creativity—build my resilience by transforming the unexpected into opportunities for growth and expression.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’d love to share more about my work and what drives me. My practice blends art, technology, and curation, exploring the ways we engage with the objects and systems around us. Whether it’s creating projects like the Ultimate Vending Machine that humorously examines labor and identity, or curating shows like Spamtember at All Street that challenge conventional views on cultural symbols, my work is grounded in creativity and community engagement. What excites me the most is the opportunity to merge humor with deep cultural questions, creating experiences that invite people to look at the world in new ways.

Recently, I curated and participated in the inaugural staff show at LATITUDE Gallery, where I’ve been an original member since 2020. The show, titled “Anchored”, brought together the diverse talents of the gallery’s staff, highlighting the unique perspectives and creative practices we each bring to the space. What made this exhibition particularly special was how it served as both a celebration of our collective work at LATITUDE and a reflection on our individual journeys as artists and curators. For me, “Anchored” was a way to look back on the evolution of the gallery and how our personal practices have developed alongside the space. It’s been exciting to contribute to such a meaningful project that not only showcases our artistic diversity but also reinforces the strong community we’ve built here. In “Anchored”, my participating piece, titled *Do Not Copy*, was a whimsical exploration of the relationship between objects and their representations. It featured a key and lock pair, but with a twist—the key also held an SD card that stored an image of the lock itself. The piece played with ideas of duplication, access, and the absurdity of creating layers of security for something that is, at its core, a simple object. This playful take on the interaction between the physical and the digital is representative of the humor and creativity I strive to bring into my work.

Currently, I’m focusing on expanding these explorations, both in my personal art practice and through curatorial work. I’m also excited about future shows and projects that continue to push the boundaries between technology and human interaction. Whether through vending machines or collaborative exhibitions, my goal is to inspire curiosity and invite others to reflect on the often-overlooked connections between everyday objects, identity, and meaning.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are adaptability, curiosity, and collaboration.

Adaptability has been key, particularly in navigating the different roles I take on within my practice. Constantly wearing multiple hats were conventional for me as someone studied computer science and art, doing electronic engineering works and maintain an art and curatorial practice. I had to adapt quickly to the world I am in based on the interdisciplinary knowledge I hold. This adaptability is reflected in my Shuang Identity Gift Card Vending Machine project, which explores the idea of shifting between multiple identities and skill sets, much like I do in my work.

Curiosity is the thread that runs through all my projects. Whether I’m creating art objects or curating shows, my work is driven by the desire to explore new ideas and push boundaries. The Ultimate Vending Machine series, for instance, stems from my curiosity about how technology and everyday interactions intersect. Similarly, my shows, like “Spamtember,” are built around questions that intrigue me—how can something as trivial as spam be reimagined into something culturally meaningful? Curiosity allows me to constantly evolve and experiment.

Collaboration has also played an essential role in my journey. Without doubt, shows like “Spamtember” and the “Anchored” exhibition thrived on the energy of working with others. My art project also comes in collaboration. Bringing in diverse perspectives enriches the work and often takes it in unexpected directions, something I find invaluable to both my artistic and curatorial practices. Collaboration, whether with fellow artists or in community-based events, has been a consistent source of inspiration and growth for me.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always open to collaborating with folks who share a sense of humor and believe in its power to push creative boundaries. Humor is central to my work, adding a playful twist to serious themes. For example, in my *Ultimate Vending Machine* project, users can “purchase” different slices of my identity and abilities through a vending machine. This humorous take on the commodification of identity explores the absurdity of how we value labor and self-worth.

In my *Do Not Copy* piece, the humor comes from a key that holds an SD card storing an image of the lock. It playfully questions the idea of security and replication by adding unnecessary layers of complexity to something simple.

I’m especially interested in collaborating with people who explore internet art or physical objects, those working in interdisciplinary art and technology, and individuals connected to Chinese diaspora communities. If this resonates with you, feel free to connect with me through my site: https://shuangcai.cargo.site/

Contact Info:

Image Credits

P1 vending shuang — identity vending machine, courtesy of the artist
P2 Male Pregnancy Artist (artist on the left, curator on the right), courtesy of :iidrr Gallery
P3 SPAMtember show installation shot, courtesy of All Street Gallery
P4 Ultimate Vending Machine product shot, courtesy of the artist
P5 scam gift card (auctioned at CultureHub), courtesy of the artist
P6 Labels? Labels! TBD, courtesy of :iidrr Galler
P7 Word Game interactive installation viewing shot, courtesy of Accent Sister and Team9
P8 Anchored (LATITUDE Aug Staff Show) installation view, courtesy of LATITUDE Gallery

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