EMBERS ECHO
2023
Autobiographical VR interactive experience
3D environment, spatial narrative, digital reconstruction
Overview
EMBERS ECHO is an autobiographical VR work developed from memories of repeated relocation in a coal-mining region of Datong, Shanxi. The work reconstructs fragments of places connected to the artist’s childhood and family history, situating personal memory within a broader experience of displacement and spatial transformation.
Rather than reconstructing the past as a continuous narrative, remembered places, objects, and experiences are transformed into fragmented and abstract forms distributed throughout the virtual environment.
Historical Context
Between 2008 and 2010, mining subsidence and redevelopment led to the demolition of residential areas around the coal mines and the large-scale relocation of residents to Heng’an New District, south of Datong. Places connected to the artist’s childhood—including the family home, relatives’ houses, and the coal mine where his father worked—were gradually altered or disappeared.
Spatial Reconstruction
Geographic references, satellite imagery, and personal memories were brought together to reconstruct the former coal-mining area as a 3D environment. The space includes the artist’s childhood home, relatives’ houses, and buildings associated with the mine, while remembered objects and experiences are transformed into abstract forms distributed throughout the reconstructed landscape.
VR Experience