Hometown XR
an exhibition by Artist in Residence Wenjun Chen
AlterWork Studios is pleased to present an exhibition by Artist in Residence Wenjun Chen, “Hometown XR”.
Artist Reception: Saturday, August 8, 2026 | 6PM
This exhibition is on view everyday from 12PM-9PM from 8/2/26 until 8/8/26.
Hometown XR is an ongoing work that explores the boundary between the real and virtual, the natural and synthesized. The work begins with memory fragments about home and belonging extracted from open internet datasets. These texts are interpreted through AI generation into continuously shifting moving images, hybrid
landscapes that blend human recollection with machine interpretation. These digital environments are then projected onto found materials: fabrics, plastics, and other surfaces that carry their own histories of use and deterioration. By mapping algorithmically generated memories onto physical, tactile materials, the work creates a layered encounter between the immaterial and the embodied.
AlterWork Studios is located on the Ground Floor of 40-20 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101. We are located on the west side of 22nd street between 40th and 41st avenues. When arriving, use the black touch screen to the left of the door to ring for AlterWork Studios in the Directory. Once inside, the studio is located down the stairs on the left.
Wenjun Chen is an interdisciplinary artist working on digital media, focusing on exploring the mixed relationship between real and virtual. His work involves the fields of self-identity, internet and technology, data and personal data. Born in China, he is currently based in New York City. He was a self-taught photographer and received an MFA from the Digital and Interdisciplinary Art Practice Program at the City College of New York.
Currently, his research extends into hometown memories in digital spaces, extracting and visualizing collective and individual recollections from open datasets. This project reflects his ongoing interest in the fluidity of memory in an era of data-driven storytelling, creating immersive WebXR and projection-mapped experiences that bridge human recollection and machine-generated interpretation.