BUGS IN MY LIFE
虫念

CI NIAN SPACE, SHANGHAI

5.4.2023 – 31.5.2023

“Bugs in My Life” inaugurated the opening of Ci Nian Space, a poetic and thoughtfully designed venue by Wang Yuheng. The exhibition transforms the space into a quiet, multi-sensory field where insects are not subjects of study, but co-creators of art.

Traces left by bugs—chewed leaves, ant trails, silken threads—are presented as calligraphy, landscapes, and scriptures. Their ephemeral marks are magnified into immersive works that encourage visitors to slow down, lower their gaze, and experience nature’s intelligence at insect scale.

Three new works were unveiled for the first time:

· Insect Sutra – a long scroll composed of leaf miner trails, rhythmically arranged like ancient scripture.

· Ants Reading – a miniature reflection on the act of reading across species and scales.

· Letters from Bugs – delicate imprints that resemble written correspondence from the natural world.

A short film, So Sleepy, So Sleepy, Little Caterpillar, plays for an imagined insect audience: dragonflies, beetles, ants, spiders. Visitors are invited to join—if they crouch low enough and watch with wonder.

The exhibition also includes insect-drawn poetry and bug-made “Song dynasty” paintings on leaves, suggesting that creativity is not uniquely human, but a shared instinct across life forms. Children often become the best interpreters here; following their lead can reveal unexpected pathways into the exhibition’s quiet complexity.

“Bugs in My Life” invites viewers into an unseen world that’s all around us—a world of overlooked neighbors and tiny creators whose presence can reshape how we see art, nature, and ourselves.