"Takakia " is an interactive installation that highlights the fragile beauty and urgent plight of Takakia, an ancient moss species on the brink of extinction. Situated in the heart of the Tibetan Plateau, this rare moss is one of the fastest-evolving plants on Earth, yet it now faces an uncertain future due to climate change.
Drawing from climate data spanning 1960 to 2050, we use Touchdesigner to simulate the growth of Takakia accordingly. These visuals are brought into a forest space, projected onto real moss, influenced by audience interactions captured through an Arduino sensor. This creats a responsive environment that transforms abstract data into a deep connection with nature, fostering a tangible link to the impacts of global warming.
"The Invisible Hand" is an interactive art installation that explores the notion of influence and control within society. Created by the artist Tianyi, the work reflects her belief that individuals are shaped by a multitude of forces—such as media, culture, and personal background—with the government playing a significant role in shaping these influences.
In this installation, the audience is invited to interact with a bed of sand, using their hands to manipulate its surface. Through projection mapping, the movements of the audience are directly mirrored, creating a dynamic visual response. By positioning the audience as the "control" within the process of manipulation, Tianyi seeks to provoke a profound awareness of the subtle yet pervasive forces at play, prompting reflection on how individuals are continually shaped and directed by the "invisible hand" of societal influence.
“Ripple Effect” is an interactive installation that explores the relationship between human behaviour and environmental impact.
Using TouchDesigner to visualise oil leaks, the chromatic variations in the imagery are directly controlled by worldwide oil spill data, while the audience's interactions influence the position and movement of the pollution fulcrum.
By linking audience behaviour to the progression of pollution, “Ripple Effect” aims to raise awareness on how human actions contribute to environmental damage. Through this experimental interactive experience, audiences are encouraged to reflect on their own role in the degradation of our planet and the urgent need for change.
"Tangled Freedom" is a photographic series created by Tianyi Ren, set in a small temple near Mount Kailash in Tibet. The work reflects Tianyi's personal journey as a Chinese Tibetan in her quest for freedom and explores her complex perspective on religion.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the colourful prayer flags featured in the images symbolize the wishes of believers for good fortune. These flags are traditionally hung in high, sacred locations. The mountain depicted in the photographs is Mount Kailash, a revered site in Tibetan Buddhism. Believers would hike or pray around it. Tianyi Ren participated in this pilgrimage, walking the sacred route with the intention of clearing her mind, as she had long felt constrained by the tangles of life. Through this experience, she reflects on the dual role of religion: while it can serve as a path to self-discovery, it can also entangle individuals and hinder their sense of freedom.
"Truth?" is an interactive installation consisting of three parts: space, visual illusion and sound. The visual illusion effect uses lines to alter the viewer's visual impression of space. By contrasting it with the viewer's existing perception to make the viewer question their own eyes and perceptions.
‘Truth?' is a question that arises from the bias that author Tianyi experienced, in the course of her research into truth and science Tianyi discovered that people's perceptions are influenced by their own backgrounds, and perceptions will always influence the way one sees things. At the same time, people are always constructing the truth.
Liquid Uncertainty
Inspired by Zygmunt Bauman's theory of liquid modernity, this project aims to express the fluid nature of individual identity in contemporary society. The interactive nature of the circle, which responds and adapts to the user's movements, symbolizes this modern trait of fluidity and the ability to continuously redefine oneself in an ever-changing environment.
‘Uploading’ is an interactive installation project. It focuses on the biased reporting of facts by the media in various political contexts since the COVID-19. Under the influence of such a large number of biased reports, people began to lose their independent judgment and became puppets controlled by strings and tools used by politics.
