Beijing exhibit highlights empathy, connection

Standing on a platform, Shen Di put her palms on a plate with a heart-rate sensor. She then saw her heartbeats turn into small stones thrown into the water, creating beautiful, rhythmic ripples in a "pond" on the ground.

"It's an amazing experience! Hearing the slapping sound and seeing the ripples made me feel more than alive and calm. Interestingly, I felt connected with my inner self," said Shen, a visitor who interacted with Chinese artist Zhang Muchen's Heart Beats, a digital art installation on show at the Beijing Times Art Museum.

Zhang's work is one of the 12 installations, spanning photography, GIF, video, and interactive media, featured at Empathy & Connection, a contemporary art exhibit, inspired by the status quo of human society because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.