The Lycoming College Art Gallery will soon present “Dwelling in becoming,” a two-person exhibition by artists Rebecca Ruige Xu and Sean Zhai, according to a press release. The exhibit, slated to run from Sept. 5 through Nov. 1, invites audiences to reflect on the transitional space between what is and what is yet to come, exploring how emerging technologies are reshaping human experience, creativity, and connection.

An opening reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 at the Lycoming College Art Gallery, 25 West Fourth Street.

Rooted in the philosophical idea of “dwelling” as articulated by Martin Heidegger — living attentively within the unfolding of existence — the exhibition expands this notion into a dialogue with “becoming,” a state of continual transformation. Together, these concepts shape a body of work that resists closure, instead encouraging visitors to inhabit uncertainty and possibility.

“Through a diverse range of media — including fine art printmaking, sound-responsive installation, visual music, data visualization, and generative art — Xu and Zhai engage with the profound cultural and societal shifts brought on by technologies like artificial intelligence,” said the press release. “Their works do not provide definitive answers but rather act as open-ended inquiries, prompting reflection on what it means to create, sense, and act in a world where human agency is increasingly entangled with technological systems.”

“In many ways, we are already dwelling in becoming,” the artists noted. “We are living in a moment of profound transition, where the old is unsettled, and the new is not yet defined. This exhibition is about pausing to consider what meaning and connection might emerge if we choose to remain attentive within that uncertainty.”

Xu is a professor of computer art at Syracuse University whose work explores the intersections of AI, data visualization, experimental animation, and interactive media. She examines how emerging technologies can expand creative practice, with a focus on artistic data representation, visual music, and digital performance. Her projects have been exhibited internationally at venues including ISEA, SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH Asia Art Galleries, Ars Electronica, the IEEE VIS Arts Program, FILE – Electronic Language International Festival (Brazil), and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Italy).

Zhai is a generative artist and technologist whose practice combines computer graphics, creative coding, and digital culture. With a background in UX design and data analysis at Syracuse University, he integrates soundscapes and programming to create immersive, exploratory experiences. His work has been featured internationally at Ars Electronica, ISEA, the SIGGRAPH Art Gallery, SIGCHI, TEI, and the Boston Cyberarts Festival, among others.

The Lycoming College Art Gallery is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and admission is free and open to the public.