XJTLU brings immersive experiences to Milan Design Week
09 May 2025
From 6-13 April, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University was featured in Milan Design Week for the third time with the exhibition “Worlding Alternative Worlds: More than Cultural Diversity”.
Challenging conventional notions of diversity, the exhibition invited audiences to rethink coexistence, cultural heritage, and ecological responsibility through immersive VR, interactive storytelling, and wearable technology, which responded to Milan Design Week 2025’s theme of “Making Kin”.
Aven Le Zhou, curator of the exhibition and an assistant professor from the Department of Industrial Design at XJTLU Design School, says: “Reality is not singular nor static but continuously shaped through interactions, imaginations, and interventions.
“We invite audiences to reflect on interconnectedness while engaging with alternative ways of being and coexisting by recognising that true diversity emerges through the multitude of ways life manifests, evolves, and interacts.”
XJTLU exhibition at Milan Design Week
The four projects in the exhibition are the research outcomes of the Interactive Experience + Lab at XJTLU’s Department of Industrial Design.
More than Harmonious
“More-than-Harmonious” by Zhou is an interactive art experience?that?invites people to explore the human impact on Earth through a story told with visuals, sounds, and interactions.
“Using eye-tracking technology, the artwork creates a real-time, immersive space where participants?– whether actively engaging or simply observing?– are encouraged to reflect on how all living things are deeply connected.
“It reimagines traditional Eastern ideas about harmony with nature, moving beyond the idea of a perfect balance to reflect the messy, ever-changing relationships between humans and the planet,” says Zhou.
“More-than-Harmonious”
Immersive Heap of Ashes
“Immersive Heaps of Ashes: A Collaged Dream into the Realm of Chinese Calligraphy” by Yunpeng Xiang and Dr Cheng-Hung Lo?takes inspiration from an old Chinese painting technique called “heap of ashes”, known as?锦灰堆 (jǐn huī?duī)?in Chinese painting, a nuanced method that combines intricate layering and textural effects. It is mixed with collage art to help people look beyond the surface beauty of Chinese calligraphy and discover its hidden meanings.
Xiang, a PhD candidate in industrial design, explains: “In our previous workshop, we invited participants to interpret the symbolic meanings of Chinese calligraphy through curated visual assets. Their collages were then turned into 3D virtual reality environments, where viewers immersively experience themes of divinity, humanity, and individuality.
“These themes resonate with the portrayal of the cosmos, society, and self in traditional Chinese art, revealing the cultural and historical messages conveyed through Chinese calligraphy.”
Visitor experiencing “Immersive Heaps of Ashes: A Collaged Dream into the Realm of Chinese Calligraphy”
Correct Errors
“Correct Errors” by Jiahe Li and Dr Lo intentionally incorporates errors like pixelation, distortion, and dislocation through digital sculptures that challenge conventional notions of art.
“In immersive VR environments, audiences encounter these sculptures as dynamic entities which are continuously evolving through glitches. The boundaries between tangible and intangible are blurred, inviting viewers to reflect on the shifting intersections of technology, humanity, and creativity,” explains Li, also a PhD candidate in industrial design.
Visitor experiencing “Correct Errors”
Virtual Reality Tour for a Panorama of Rivers and Mountains
“Virtual Reality Tour for a Panorama of Rivers and Mountains” by Yuting Cheng, Jiashu Yang, and Dr Mengjie Huang turns the famous Chinese painting “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” painted by Wang Ximeng in the 12th century into an immersive VR experience.
The timeless aesthetics of Song Dynasty landscapes are transformed into an interactive realm where the azure-green peaks shift with the audience’s gaze and mist unravels at their touch, while the guqin?melodies echo through a 3D soundscape.
Visitor experiencing “Virtual Reality Tour for a Panorama of Rivers and Mountains”
Dr Lo, head of the Department of Industrial Design, says that the showcased projects highlight the breadth of creativity within the Department, from immersive VR and interactive storytelling to speculative wearables.
“It’s really exciting for us to be part of Milan Design Week, especially exhibiting at BASE Milano – a venue known for its focus on socially engaged and digitally-driven design.
“This is a great opportunity to share how our teaching and research are pushing boundaries and connecting with a global community of creative innovators,” he says.
By Yi Qian
Edited by Patricia Pieterse
Images courtesy of Department of Industrial Design
09 May 2025