The Code Universe: Artists Interrogating a Post-Digital Age

The Code Universe is a new section curated by Carol Yinghua Lu, director of the Inside-Out Art Museum, Beijing, and co-curator of the 19th Istanbul Biennial (2027). About Spanning the late 1970s to the present, the section brings together a cross-generational group of artists, each interrogating the forces that shape popular culture and how it is produced, circulated and consumed. The pop and conceptual movements redefined the notion and perception of art in the 20th century, symbolically transforming existing objects and images, and placing popular culture, philosophical thought and social practices at the forefront of artistic creation. Today, as we reflect on the predicament of contemporary art in the neoliberal age, the question of how to acknowledge and understand the evolution of these movements is an urgent task. The section’s title suggests the extensive vocabulary of rich visual metaphors with which artists from varied backgrounds communicate complex ideas. Featuring artists from Shanghai to New York City, these presentations collectively consider the global impact of pop and conceptual art, and how the next generation of contemporary artists is grappling with these legacies in a post digital age. The Code Universe is part of the celebrated curated programme at Frieze London 2026, introducing the next generation of artists and ideas to a global audience. Read more Toggle Mixed media Multi-disciplinary Drawing Painting Installation