Maia Chao, an innovative artist with a background in anthropology, explores the intersection of art and daily life through a unique lens. Her inquisitive nature prompts questions such as the origins of art displayed in doctors' offices and the viability of a career as an artist. By focusing on these themes, she transforms everyday experiences into works that evoke beauty, absurdity, and contemplation.
One of her notable projects, Hesitation Particles (2016), involved interviewing native speakers of 31 languages to gather samples of "hesitation particles," akin to the English "um." The resulting audio composition immerses listeners in a tapestry of global voices, creating an atmospheric experience. In another work, A Picture of Health (2022), Chao drew inspiration from the peculiar art found in medical waiting rooms. Following a lengthy visit to a doctor's office, she curated an exhibition at Vox Populi Gallery in Philadelphia, showcasing paintings borrowed from 27 local healthcare providers. In a clever twist, she replaced the originals with monochromatic canvases, creating two distinct exhibitions that challenged viewers' perceptions based on their art-viewing locations.
Chao's curiosity extends beyond traditional art circles. In her project Look at Art. Get Paid. (2015-2020), she collaborated with Josephine Devanbu to invite individuals who typically do not visit museums to act as paid guest critics. This initiative, which began at the RISD Museum, has since expanded to various institutions, engaging over 200 participants and addressing the disparity in museum demographics, where a majority of visitors are affluent and predominantly white.
In her 2021 video The Performance of Making Art, Chao humorously critiques the material realities of art production, highlighting the costs associated with creating art, including education and equipment. Her work often merges the bureaucratic with the absurd, reflecting on how neoliberalism shapes our culture and personal experiences.
Chao's upcoming performance for the 2026 Whitney Biennial promises to be an engaging exploration of the museum experience. This live performance will incorporate recorded sound bites of friends navigating the museum, emphasizing the physical realities of visiting such spaces--like restroom breaks and hunger. Chao intends to highlight the whimsical aspects of museum operations, including the often-overlooked Replication Committee. Through her artistic lens, the mundane becomes extraordinary, inviting audiences to reconsider their perceptions of contemporary existence.