Thesis 2023 / Shilun Chen '23 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Thesis 2023 / Shilun Chen '23

 Shilun Chen '23

 As a multimedia artist and designer, I specialize in utilizing illustration and graphic design to communicate complex ideas in visually striking and thought-provoking ways. I believe that the interplay between color, composition, and storytelling is essential to creating unique and captivating pieces that leave a lasting impression. To achieve this goal, I continuously stay up to date with the latest trends, technologies, and knowledge in my field.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself increasingly drawn to online communities due to social distancing measures and the rising costs of travel. My curiosity regarding the concept of connection in online social existence and the recent developments in artificial intelligence brought the Web 3.0 closer to becoming a reality. Although the idea of being replaced by AI brought me fear, I also envisioned a future in which our reality would turn into the actual future depicted in novels and movies.  To explore the interconnection between art and technology and examine how artists can position themselves in this upcoming future, I created a multimedia project consisting of four components. The project aims to turn flat illustration into a variety of media, telling a nonlinear science fiction story of a cyborg character who was created on the very last spaceship of humanity. The narrative traces the character's journey from childhood to death and rebirth as a cyborg, with only a robot companion that grew up alongside the cyborg and now serves as some part of its body and the entire mind. Together, they form a single entity and continue their journey, exploring the unknown. The centerpiece of the project is an animated cyborg character avatar displayed on an iPad, utilizing face capture technology to sense the viewer's facial motion and react to it. Two animations, each with a duration of 1 minute and 55 seconds, are projected on opposite sides of a wall and align horizontally. These two animations interconnect to each other telling the majority portion of the entire story separately though side-by-side in a non-linear and somewhat abstracted way. A 36 by 58 inches printed banner of the blueprint of the cyborg character is displayed on the wall between the two animation projections, showing the components of the cyborg's body and their functions. To enhance the immersive experience, I also created an augmented reality project embedded with a QR code that allows users to drop a portal on their electronic device and cross through to see where the cyborg lands, serving as the finale of the entire story.  Through this multimedia project, I showcase my vision of a virtual future that is rapidly becoming a reality and poised to impact all of us. By providing audiences with multiple levels of interaction, from still images to movements and even the ability to play as a character, I hope to give them a unique experience that explores the relationship between art and technology and the possibilities that lie ahead.

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