In this interview, new media artist Yizhen Li shares the creative process behind Lava’s Lament, an immersive installation exhibited at Gray Area in San Francisco in early 2024 as part of Gray Area’s Cultural Incubator. Yizhen’s work blends soft materials, light, and projections to create a space that explores themes of femininity, memory, and the natural cycles that connect us to the environment.
Originally from Sichuan, China, Yizhen draws from traditional cultural elements and combines them with contemporary digital practices to create dynamic, multisensory experiences. Lava’s Lament reflects this approach, using a cone-shaped fabric structure as a vessel for projection and soundscapes inspired by volcanic imagery.
Listen to this episode to learn about:
Chapters
(00:00:00) Exploring femininity and nature through immersive art installations (00:03:19) Volcanic imagery, ecofeminism, and philosophy (00:05:00) Femininity and nature in immersive art (00:06:07) Prototyping immersive volcanic visuals (00:10:29) Materiality to immersive fluidity (00:14:20) Challenges with fabric projections (00:16:11) Materiality and living systems in media art (00:18:45) Flexibility and adaptation in audiovisual work
About Yizhen Li
Yizhen Li is a new media artist and designer whose work encompasses audio-visual installations, generative art, and experience design. Her practice is distinguished by the innovative use of soft materials, light, and projections, blending traditional cultural elements with cutting-edge digital techniques to create immersive, fluid experiences.
Originally from Sichuan, China, Yizhen integrates materials like rice paper and textiles with ephemeral light to explore themes of femininity, memory, and environmental cycles. With a background in studio arts, stage design, and human interaction design, her dynamic approach pushes the boundaries of immersive media, continuously evolving to connect audiences with deeper cultural and natural narratives.
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