A Box Life, 2020-2021
(Computer Vision, TouchDesigner, Digital video)


Stage 1

The project visualizes the data of my path in my room for 14 days during the COVID-19 outbreak in NYC. I tracked myself everyday from 10:00am - 10:00pm. The box simulates the space of my room.  During the endless quarantine life, the meaning and concept of "space" have changed. My room is a promise of safety, a feeling of security, but also a cage. I dreamed about walking out of this space every night, but I always woke up with fear. I made my efforts to enjoy the limited freedom inside my room, at the same time I was desperate to get away from it. This confined space is no longer only a room for me in this time, it is a cage for security, a box for protection and the summary of my existence.






a box life from zoe li on Vimeo.











Tracked data: 








Stage 2

As the paths look repetitive and I follow the same routine every day, I trained an AI model with the data of my paths during quarantine. For each day the AI model generates a new path, which is assigned to a virtual Zoe to follow.  

The virtually me will always be there, following the generated path every day. Even though the pandemic would become a history one day, the virtual me is forever trapped in the “space” within the real-time running program, as a memory and a documentation of 2020’s experience.
 









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