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BIOGRAPHY / CV / EXHIBITIONS

Axl Le

Axl Le (Yi Le, b. 1989, Shanghai) is a new media artist and filmmaker based in Oslo. Through his works, he critically engages with technology and media, investigates the aesthetics and ethics of virtual reality, and reflects on the existential conditions of human consciousness in a digitized world.

He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents 2025, a member of the European Film Academy, and a member of NBK (Norway) and M-Cult (Finland).

His works have been screened and exhibited at international institutions and art fairs including Art Basel Hong Kong, LOOP Barcelona, Microclima Festival Venice, Museo d’Arte Orientale Turin, HOW Art Museum Shanghai, Tank Shanghai, CICA Museum Gimpo, and Himalayas Museum Shanghai. They have also been featured on NOWNESS Asia, Arte Tracks, Videotage, and videoclub. His films have received recognition at international animation festivals and media art platforms.

Axl Le artist portrait
Axl Le archive portrait

Selected Exhibitions

  • 2025 · Absent Participation – As an Art Form of Images (Group) — CIC Creativity & Innovation Center, Shenzhen, CN
  • 2025 · New Reality (Solo) — PJ Gallery, Metz, FR
  • 2025 · Rear Window & Real Wonder (Group) — HOW Art Museum, Shanghai, CN
  • 2025 · Post-Industry Poetry (Group) — One Art Gallery, Beijing, CN
  • 2024 · The Ghosts of Avant-Garde: A New Generation of Chinese Media Artists (Group) — CIFRA, Online
  • 2024 · Travellers Mirror Cities (Group) — Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, CN
  • 2024 · Group Exhibition of Young Visual Artists from Shanghai (Group) — Rong Art Center, Shanghai, CN
  • 2024 · Both Sides Now 9: Generations (Group) — Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, UK; The Horse Hospital, London, UK; Eesa Contemporary, Manchester, UK
  • 2024 · As the Sharp Narrative Fades, a Revealing Map Emerges Part 2 (Group) — Chosun Gallery, Seoul, KR
  • 2023 · FMK’s Q1 — Axl Le (Solo) — Chosun Gallery, Seoul, KR
  • 2023 · Program Screening — Microclima, Venice, IT
  • 2023 · Group Exhibition of New Media Artists — Suzhou Bay Art Museum, CN
  • 2023 · Distributed Program Celebrating MAUTO’s 90th Anniversary — Museo d’Arte Orientale, Turin, IT
  • 2023 · Nature 2023 — Czong Institute for Contemporary Art, Gimpo, KR
  • 2023 · The Lumen Prize — Annka Kultys Gallery, London, UK

Selected Art Fairs

  • 2025 · Art Osaka — Osaka City Central Public Hall & Creative Center Osaka, JP
  • 2025 · CURRENTS New Media — El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe, US
  • 2024 · LOOP Barcelona — Cinemes Girona, ES
  • 2024 · Art Basel — Presented by Videotage, Cattle Depot Artist Village, Hong Kong
  • 2023 · KIAF Seoul — COEX Center, Seoul, KR
  • 2022 · SIGGRAPH Asia — Sustainability & Non-Fungibility, Daegu, KR
  • 2022 · Digital Art Fair Asia — Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, HK
  • 2022 · NFT and Digital Arts Festival — Burj Park, Dubai, AE

Awards and Recognitions

  • The First Metahuman: Official Selection — Animac, Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Anima Brussels; Finalist — Minimalen Short Film; Shortlisted — Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, HiShorts! Xiamen Short Film Festival
  • The Journey: Official Selection — Ibrida Festival; Shortlisted — The Lumen Prize, Hua Award
  • The Funeral: Official Selection — NOWNESS China New Talent Short Film Awards, 2021
  • Vincent: Official Selection — NOWNESS China New Talent Short Film Awards, 2020
  • Loop: Winner — Blast! Digital Generation Video Art Awards, 2017

Grants and Funding

  • 2025 · Production Grant (NOK 70,000) — Joseph’s Midnight Party, Viken Filmsenter
  • 2024 · Travel Grant (NOK 25,000) — Chosun Gallery Exhibition, Office for Contemporary Art Norway
  • 2023 · Research Grant (NOK 60,000) — Meta Interview, Viken Filmsenter
  • 2023 · Production Grant (NOK 40,000) — The First Metahuman, Oslo Municipality and Mediefabrikken

Selected Lectures

  • Art Practice in the Digital Age: Video Games — Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul, 2023
  • Viken X: Creator Workshop with AI — Viken Filmsenter, Norway, 2023
  • Art as Education & Education as Art — China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, 2023
  • Creative Inspiration and Practice of CG Short Films — Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, 2020

Articles and Features

  • Stash Media: Axl Le and Korean Star Lee Minho Drop “New World, New Meta” Concept Film — June 2023
  • NOWNESS China: 不会吧,这个周末你又加班啦? — July 2022
  • NOWNESS China: Season of Survival: Journey — June 2022
  • InStyle China: HUNTER — April 2022
  • Yahoo Finance: NFT and Digital Arts Festival, Alternative Reality, to Be Held at WOW Summit 2022 — February 2022
  • WLDO: 주목해야할 천재 아티스트 — August 2021
  • Shots: Work anxiety just got a whole lot worse — July 2021
  • Stash Media: The Patient Short Film by Axl Le — July 2021
  • Fesch TV: THE PATIENT 病人 / AXL LE — July 2021
  • TheCGBros: CGI 3D Animated Short: “Vincent” - by Axl Le (Yi Le) — July 2021
  • Tank Shanghai: NOWNESS 2021 天才计划 — December 2020
  • China Academy of Art: NOWNESS 2020 天才计划特别展映 中国美术学院美术馆站 — December 2020
  • Arte TRACKS: Cyberpunk: Ist die Dystopie schon Realität? — October 2020
  • SHP Plus: The Cyberpunk Worlds of Axl Le|乐毅的赛博庞克世界 — July 2020
  • RADII: “I am Chinese, I don’t eat Dogs”: Inside Axl Le’s Post-Apocalyptic Recipe Book — April 2020
  • MODERN WEEKLY: An Undefined Answer of Future — March 2020
  • Pause Fest 2020
  • Stash Magazine: Join Axl Le and Alan Watts on “The Journey” — January 2020
  • NeoCha: Futureproof Geisha — December 2019
  • Nowre Fashion Magazine: 国潮都在做“赛博朋克”,有什么不一样的? — May 2018
  • Sohu: 关于未来主义视觉艺术,他有话要说 — July 2018
  • Vogue China: 科颜氏“地球实验室”品牌年度盛典 — November 2017
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