Echoes of the Gallop
Use the Year of the Horse in Chinese calendar and July 11th International Horse Day to show the partnership for the goals, Art for Nature, for protection, for the social good
DATE
May 2026
DURATION
TYPE OF WORK
2 months
Immersive Experience
TEAM
Individual
In this era of rapid digitalization—where everything can be recorded, stored, quantified as data, and modeled through computation—I seek through this work to explore how we might re-examine and redefine the partnership between humanity and nature. In this project, I use the partnership with horse in Chinese history to inspire the relationship with oysters in NYC.
Through an immersive and interactive approach, this project reimagines traditional ecological wisdom against the dual backdrop of algorithmic alienation and environmental crisis. It emphasizes the importance of collaborative global partnerships in facilitating ecological restoration.
A. Physical Anchor:
Materials: Hand-sculpted horse figurines crafted from deep blue and earthy-toned clays, echoing the official color palettes of SDG 17 and SDG 12. Recycled Materials (SDG 12/15): Incorporating oyster shells (symbolizing the resilience of life), coffee filters (evoking the texture of the earth), and dried flower petals. The repurposing of these "waste materials" embodies a deep respect for the cyclical nature of terrestrial ecosystems.
Function: Serving as a physical coordinate, it guides the audience—through the sense of touch—into the digital narrative.
B. Interactive Scenario (Digital Awakening): Utilizing TouchDesigner and camera tracking to implement an "intuitive" interactive logic: State of Isolation (The Disintegration): There will be an immersive introduction to the story before the interaction happens. Guide the audience to the core of the story and use their hands to interact with it.
Partnership Achieved (The Flourishing – SDG 17): The audience uses their hands to mimic the process of cleaning and take care of the environment process just like how oysters clean the water, to see the painting behind the water waves.
Reference
马踏飞燕 Bronze Statue, Flying horse standing on a swallow
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徐悲鸿, Xubei Hong series of painting of horse
Billion Oyster Project, NYC
