Tao Lin has a relentlessly curious mind. In his fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, he toes the line between reality and the imagined. His newest novel, Leave Society (2021), uses a great depth of nonfictional research to push against the ideas of accepted science as they related to his life. In an era of proliferating controversial theories, Tao's book celebrates the ability of science to refuse certainty and open up a space of unknowing. On this episode, Lin discusses a variety of ideas, including flat earth, hollow earth and free energy – alternative theories that, for Lin, serve as fertile material for his art.

Ross Simonini

Produced by ArtReview and Ross Simonini

Featured image: ‘birds mandala’ (2017) by Tao Lin