Path to the Feast
2022
Interactive Installation

Path to the Feast is a transdisciplinary research project by Iona Liu (MFA candidate, Department of Visual Arts) and Jacky Dai (MA student, Department of Computer Science). It uses human-computer interaction to interpret prehistoric Chinese fertility and reproductive symbols using the visual language of gender archaeology. The project comprises hand-drawn and AI-generated animations, dance, sound, creative coding, 3-D projection, and electronics. The audience will interact by making hand gestures that correspond to traditional Chinese finger divination. The interactive feedback will be a combination of 6 videos of animation and dance that are narratively parallel and linear. Inspired by Chinese Northeastern shamanic dream rituals, the videos represent both six separate visions (three good luck visions, three bad luck visions) and six events that a person experiences throughout their life. Three good luck events include fall of love, harvest, and sacred rituals. Three bad luck events include loss of love, loss of children, and drunkenness.
Faculty advisors: Jason Salavon (Associate Professor, Department of Visual Arts); HaoChen Tan (Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science)

https://www.artsscienceculture.uchicago.edu/202122-grantees