Commission

Chris Zhongtian Yuan

Cloudy Song

Shot in Somerset House’s cavernous vaults, Chris Zhongtian Yuan’s black and white 16mm film, Cloudy Song follows the quest of a future exile to recover their memory with the help of a somewhat ineffectual ‘care robot’.

This work is part of the PATH AI commissions created by artists and researchers Nouf Aljowaysir, Juan Covelli, and Chris Zhongtian Yuan for the PATH-AI residency programme. The works reflect on the creative potential, challenges and limitations of human-AI relationships.

About

Connecting ideas related to music and memory with the Chinese diaspora, Cloudy Song is partly soundtracked by a scrambled bank of AI-generated music as well original music from Wuhan musician Lu Yan. The film builds a compelling narrative using dialogue, fragments of human voice, and ghostly visuals.

About Chris Zhongtian Yuan

Chris Zhongtian Yuan is an award-winning UK-based artist whose practice spans video, sound, text, and performance.

Artist Profile

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Julia Kaganskiy unpacks the works whilst reflecting on the challenges posed by AI and data-driven technologies.

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Artwork Credits

    Director, Writer, Editor, Sound Design & CGI:

    Chris Zhongtian Yuan

    Featuring:

    Linjing Peng

    Director of Photography:

    Tom Wright

    Digital Producer:

    Helena Geilinger

    Project & Studio Coordinator:

    Harry Leek

    CGI:

    Pang Shengyong

    Production Assistant:

    Chris Foye

    Lighting Assistant:

    Chris Stone

    Camera Assistant:

    Chris Connatty

    Script Proofreader:

    Emily Trenholm

    Location Manager:

    Laurent John

    Location:

    Courtesy of Somerset House

    Artist acknowledgements:

    Steven Bode, Susanne Clausen, Mick Grierson, Claire Gould, Emma Hannon, Eno Inwang, Mike Jones, Cai Kai, David Leslie, Waitz Li, Peter Mackenzie, Leonara Manyangadze, Marie McPartlin, James Wright, Diane Willow & Lu Yan

    Music:

    Original Music: Lu Yan / Hardcore Raver in Tears "New Everlasting Regret" (2022) © A Company of Taihe Music Group. Music Clips for AI Regeneration: "Dolmen Music" (1981) by Meredith Monk “Unhome” (1972) by Hugh Masekela "My 1997" (1992) by Ai Jing "Cloudy Day" (1999) by Karen Mok.

    Archival Footage:

    Li Juchuan

Somerset House Team

    Studios:

    Marie McPartlin (Director of Studios), Emma Hannon (Head of Studios), Ruth Lie (Senior Creative Producer), Leonara Manyangadze (Senior Programmer), Huw Thomas (Producer), Laurent John (Somerset House Studios Programme Coordinator), Harry Leek (Studio Coordinator), Eno Inwang (Studios & Digital Administrator)

    Digital:

    Estela Oliva (Head of Digital), Helena Geilinger (Digital Producer), Patricia Hernandez Colin (Production Assistant), Anna Dobos (Filmmaker)

Supporters

  • Supported by the Economic and Social Research Council.
  • Commissioned by Somerset House in partnership with The Alan Turing Institute and UAL Creative Computing Institute.
  • Developed in residence at Somerset House Studios

Related Works

As part of the PATH AI commissions.

Los Caídos (The Fallen)

  • Juan Covelli

Harmful algorithms lead us through chaos, conflict and celebration in Covelli’s 3D animated film.

Ana Min Wein (Where am I From)?

  • Nouf Aljowaysir

A narrator teaches an AI assistant the intricacies of her cultural identity as she journeys back through her heritage.