An Immersive Installation of Urban Dreams
Intentions:
Growing up in the city, I have always seen the urban scenery as an important part of my identity. As I started engaging with the urbanity more closely with photography since 2018, my artist identity has been constantly intertwined with these concrete jungle that seems emotionless. Traveling to various cities nationally and internationally, the images I captured witness my growth in art as a human being.
Using Runway AI, I've brought a new dimension to these images. Drawing from a vast collection of 500 photographs, the AI simulates my precious memories interacting with the urban scenes and transforms them into vivid narratives. Beyond animations, the blurry and dreamy content of urban structure tell the stories of me in the cities, being it the bustling nights or the breath breaking sunsets.
The choice of glittery mesh materials in my displays is deliberate. Their flowy, shimmering forms capture the fleeting nature of emotions and the dynamic spirit of urban environments. They seem to interweave a lullaby, inviting the audience into my dreams. Each movement of the mesh symbolizes personal feelings—sometimes the thrill of a new discovery, sometimes a longing for the familiar.
The installation curated a living gallery where each piece pulses with the life of the cities they depict, echoing the emotions they stir in me. This series celebrates the interplay between a traveler and the world, each constantly influencing the other.
Spring 2022 University of California, Los Angeles
Art 11D: New Genres
Special Thanks:
Hailey Sunwoo Jeon
Photography:
Documentation:
2. The Echoes of the Absence
A pop-up site specifc Projection Installation
Concept Statement:
In 'The Echoes of the Absence,' I explore the profound impact of loss and the persistent shadow of gun violence through a memorializing installation at the University of Southern California. This work is a tribute to two Chinese international students whose lives were tragically cut short on Raymond Ave in 2012. By projecting the phrase 'In the City of Dreams' onto their campus plaque, the installation juxtaposes the aspirations and harsh realities faced by international students in the United States. This site-specific piece seeks not only to honor the memory of these young dreamers but also to provoke reflection on the broader issue of gun violence that looms over many who come to this country full of hope.
The visual serenity of butterflies in motion contrasts sharply with the content of the audio, which is composed of serene sirens and the ambient discussions about the incident. It highlights the fragile line between aspirations and the threats that can shatter them. Through 'The Echoes of the Absence,' I encourage viewers to reflect on the echoes of lives lost and the heavy silence that follows, urging a thoughtful dialogue on safety, dreams, and the cost of violence.
Spring 2024 University of Southern California
CTXA 575: Cinematic Installation
Instructor: Lisa Mann
Documentation:
Pitch & Research:
3. REWILDING
An Immersive Experiential Piece in ‘Concrete Oasis’ Exhibition
Concept Statement:
This immersive installation imagines a state of harmony between concrete and jungle.
Using 1 video channel and 1 audio input, co-artists Lillian Zunrou Lin and Ian Wang created this projection art, which pans through a panoramic footage of an unfinished site at the Frank Gehry-designed The Grand LA. As each loop ends and restarts, the space transforms into a rainforest on the skeleton of the original building, evoking a future present where nature delicately reclaims an industrialized city.
Spring 2024 University of Southern California
CTXA 575: Cinematic Installation
Instructor: Lisa Mann
Video Documentation:
The Grand LA:
4. Deconstruction - ‘拆’
Cinematic Object as an Alternative Screen
Concept Statement:
We all want cities to grow and improve. But in China right now, there’s a hidden cost to all that shiny new development: neighborhoods called urban villages are being torn down, and with them, the memories and lives of the people who called those places home.
These urban villages—messy, crowded, and full of old buildings—were never glamorous. But for migrant workers coming to cities like Guangzhou, they were a lifeline. Imagine arriving in a huge city with little money. These neighborhoods gave folks a cheap room to rent and a chance to start over. But now, those stories are being swept away. The people who lived there? Their voices hardly matter.
My installation project Deconstruction - ‘拆’ takes interviews with residents and collects real stories about their struggles. Then it projects them onto piles of rubble from demolished buildings. Those broken rocks symbolizes pieces of someone’s kitchen wall, someone’s front step, someone’s life.
The project is delivering a message: those piles of broken concrete might hold someone’s memories. Maybe progress doesn’t have to leave people behind.
Spring 2024 University of Southern California
CTXA 575: Cinematic Installation
Instructor: Lisa Mann
Documentation:
Video Content: