The modern Leading Lady is a dynamic figure who integrates personal mastery, communal vision, along with a drive to confront and transcend barriers—all in harmony with the Divine Feminine principles.
A Modern Alchemist
In the world of art, there are figures who not only create but transmute, shaping matter and meaning to reflect new understandings of life itself. Anicka Yi, whose work moves at the intersection of politics, biology and technology, is one such figure—a modern alchemist who transforms the boundaries of what we know and invites us into the unknown.
Yi’s art begins with a question: What does it mean to be alive? From this inquiry, she crafts worlds where the distinctions between human, animal, plant and machine dissolve into vibrant, ephemeral forms. Her practice echoes the ancient alchemical axiom "Solve et Coagula"—dissolve and coagulate. This principle, central to the alchemist’s work, finds new resonance in Yi’s ephemeral materials and conceptual depth.
Unity of Opposites
In Yi’s hands, decay becomes a kind of life, as life becomes the statement. Her 2017 work Life Is Cheap transformed the gallery space into a living, breathing ecosystem where bacterial cultures and organic compounds unfolded narratives of decay and renewal. This work mirrors alchemy’s focus on transmutation—not just of substances but of ideas.
The philosopher and mystic Paracelsus once wrote, "The art of alchemy is not to make gold, but to take nature in its raw state and refine it into its purest form." Yi seems to heed this call by refining the raw elements of existence into art critiquing the hierarchies of life itself. Her works are living entities, defying traditional notions of permanence and instead embracing transformation as a creative force.
In classical alchemy, the coniunctio symbolizes the merging of opposites to create a new, transcendent whole. Yi’s practice embodies this principle as she unites seemingly disparate worlds: Organic life and artificial intelligence, scent and sculpture, politics and science.
Her 2021 Tate Modern installation In Love with the World featured floating robotic "aerobes" hovering like ethereal beings in the gallery space. These creations, inspired by both biological and technological systems, asked viewers to imagine machines not as tools but as potential companions in an evolving ecosystem.
The aerobes whispered the alchemical truth that "as above, so below; as within, so without." They reflected the interconnectedness of all things, challenging us to question: Can machines evolve symbiotically with humans, just as species adapt to their environments? Do we want them to? Yi’s work presents some viable arguments on how to embrace these concepts as we approach a future which may not give us a choice.
Shedding Preconceptions
Alchemy is also the art of purification—of stripping away impurities to reveal the essence. Yi’s use of microbial cultures, kombucha leather and other unconventional materials does precisely this, forcing us to confront our preconceived notions of beauty, disgust and value.
Her project You Can Call Me F of 2015 exemplifies this approach. Yi used bacterial fermentation to create delicate, translucent structures, challenging the viewer to find elegance in processes often dismissed as grotesque. The 17th-century alchemist Robert Fludd once said, "Alchemy transforms what is vile into what is noble." Yi’s work aligns with this ethos, not by hiding the “vile” but by revealing its nobility. Her materials, transient and alive, remind us that transformation is both necessary and sacred.
Yi’s work is not confined to the physical realm; it extends into the philosophical and spiritual, seeking illumination and understanding. In collaboration with biologists and technologists, she bridges science and art, creating tactile, multisensory experiences inviting viewers into a deeper contemplation of existence.
Like the alchemists who sought the Philosopher’s Stone, Yi pursues a different kind of enlightenment—one redefining the relationships between humans, technology and the natural world. Her work asks us to observe, as the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus once did—
"What is above is like what is below; and what is below is like what is above, to accomplish the miracles of one thing."
This phrase embodies the idea of a fundamental unity underlying all existence—a cosmic principle connecting the macrocosm (the universe) with the microcosm (the individual). The "One Thing" referred to by Hermes is a central and profound concept in alchemy, still surviving as part of our Hermetic philosophy.
That "One Thing"
Prima Materia— The "One Thing" is often interpreted as the Prima Materia, or "first matter," the primordial substance from which all things originate and to which they ultimately return. In alchemy, this is the raw material alchemists sought to transform into the Philosopher's Stone, symbolizing the unity and potential for transcendence present in all things.
The Philosopher’s Stone— Some interpretations equate the "One Thing" with the Philosopher’s Stone itself, a metaphorical substance believed to perfect all matter, transform base metals into gold, granting spiritual enlightenment or eternal life. It represents ultimate knowledge, spiritual unity and the synthesis of opposites.
The Divine Principle— The "One Thing" can also be understood as the divine spark or creative force that pervades all existence—a spiritual essence linking the material and immaterial realms. In this sense, it reflects the Hermetic belief in the interconnectedness of all life.
The Unified Consciousness— In modern philosophical or mystical contexts, the "One Thing" is sometimes interpreted as a metaphor for a universal consciousness or awareness that transcends individuality and binds all life forms together.
The "One Thing" is both a goal and a process—it is something to be realized and actualized through spiritual and material transformation. It speaks to the Hermetic quest for unity between spirit and matter, light and darkness, along with the universal cycles of creation and destruction.
As Hermes describes, the miracles of the "One Thing" are accomplished through understanding this unity and living in harmony with it. It inspires not just alchemical practices but also artistic, philosophical and spiritual explorations. Anicka Yi, as a modern alchemist, reimagines the boundaries of life and matter through these principles emphasizing connection, intuition and wholeness.
This "One Thing" is the thread weaving through all existence, urging us to see the sacred in the mundane and the infinite in the finite.
Alchemy of the Divine Feminine
In her intuitive approach to experimentation and her embrace of collaboration, Anicka Yi embodies the principles of the Divine Feminine. Her work nurtures connection, challenges hierarchical structures and reimagines the world as a symbiotic whole. She does not seek to control the materials she works with but rather listens to them, allowing them to guide her process in an alchemical dance of creation.
Yi’s art reminds us alchemy is not a relic of the past but a living practice, one continuing to evolve, shaping the way we see and experience the world. As a modern alchemist, she takes the raw, the ephemeral and the overlooked, transforming them into profound meditations on life, connection and the infinite possibilities of transformation.
Resources—
Anicka Yi: Life is Cheap, Whitney Museum of American Art, 2017
Anicka Yi: Metaspore, Pirelli HangarBicocca, 2022
Articles and Reviews
Smith, Roberta. “Anicka Yi: Scented Sculptures That Will Make You Sniff.” The New York Times, 2015
Griffin, Jonathan. “Anicka Yi’s Immersive Worlds.” ArtReview, 2020
Hermes Trismegistus, The Emerald Tablet
Nicholas Flamel, Exposition of the Hieroglyphical Figures
Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Jung, Carl. Psychology and Alchemy
Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structures of Alchemy.
Roob, Alexander. Alchemy & Mysticism
Thank you for introducing me to Anicka Yi’s artwork. I had no idea such art work existed. I am familiar with some of your references to Hermes — “so above and so below” — the concept of alchemy. But, I didn’t know there were actual artists acting as alchemists.
“coniunctio symbolizes the merging of opposites to create a new, transcendent whole. Yi’s practice embodies this principle as she unites seemingly disparate worlds: Organic life and artificial intelligence, scent and sculpture, politics and science.” — I find this quite fascinating. You’re opening a whole new world to me as far as artist work goes.
You also provided lots of great references. So, I’ll try to find time to check those out. I’m tired of what I have been thinking about. Time to read something else.