Action, Matter

TANK Shanghai is pleased to present “Action , Matter”, a solo exhibition by Cometabolism Studio, on view through September 20, 2026.

Cometabolism Studio, grounded in both design and art, has long engaged with diverse manufacturing processes. Its ongoing “Production Series” research examines the “assembly” process—from raw materials to components to finished products—focusing on the dynamic interplay between humans, tools, and materials. The solo exhibition “Action, Matter,” held at Tank Shanghai (converted from former oil tanks), takes animal-named production tools as a starting point. The venue is conceived as a system of interconnected “valves,” where each work presents an intermediate state between opening and closing.

For the studio, “agencement” is not a static structure but an ongoing, dynamic assembly process—a gathering and organizing of elements that continuously generates new connections. Production itself is a special agencement, encompassing not only parts and machines but also bodily movements, operational habits, and spatial-temporal perceptions. Human participation is not external control but an active constituent, alongside materials and environment, within this ever-reconfigurable whole. This duality aligns with the exhibition’s theme: “action” as continuous interaction and becoming, “matter” as substance itself. Tools are often seen as extensions of the human body. Animal-inspired naming adds movement and habit to it—e.g., the crane pipe evokes stretching and flow. Such nomenclature bridges biomechanical efficiency with bodily memory. Tools thus become mediators between body, materiality, biological imagery, and production logic.

In this series, artists integrate AI-processed textures into digital models, reproduce them via 3D printing, and apply hand-lacquered surfaces, while factory workers leave their own marks. Removed from purely functional contexts and placed into a space encouraging play and perception, these tools liberate multiple potentials previously confined to singular production logic. Human input introduces uncertainty—a vital vitality amid homogenized daily life. “Action, Matter” articulates that humans and objects, precision and chaos, coexist in perpetual mutual definition and co-becoming.