
2023
Waves of Code 激流引力
Through various practices in new media art - such as light installations, 3D projection mapping, and carefully curated spatial arrangements - the artist observes that people have grown accustomed to experiencing the world predominantly through screens and projections. This observation drives the artist to critically examine and reflect upon these media, exploring their nature from multiple perspectives. Within this context, Walter Benjamin's concept of "Aura" provokes a fundamental question the artist seeks to examine: Can this aura be embedded within the algorithms of media art?
Waves of Code furthers Jiayu's ongoing research into the real-time rendering of natural phenomena, explicitly focusing on the machine itself. By simplifying the material elements - utilizing only LEDs and organic glass - the installation highlights the intrinsic properties of industrial light. This minimalist approach contrasts sharply with conventional programmed and calculated imagery, emphasizing a natural flow and spatial perception through three-dimensional information graphics.
In the virtual extension of the installation, an L-shaped space is expanded into a rectangular form placed virtually at sea level. These virtual coordinates record comprehensive daily physical data, including wind speed, force, and direction. Simulated sunlight is depicted shining on the virtual ocean surface for precisely 8 minutes and 20 seconds - replicating the duration it takes real sunlight to travel 93 million miles to reach Earth.
As wind influences the ocean surface dynamically, fluctuations occur according to a Gaussian distribution, where the average slope directly correlates with wind speed. Employing camera-based software rather than drone imagery, the installation interprets reflected visuals to deduce the local wind field and wave spectrum. The coordinates of the resulting glare patterns represent the slopes of the waves, generating precise data visualizations.
After talking with GPT, it generates an intricate visual system using P5.js, which is projected onto a sculptural arrangement composed of 221 LED - lit organic glass pieces.Created, layered, and calibrated through Houdini software, the projection completes a virtual horizon visible through a central glass curtain, merging virtual and physical realities. Diverse perspectives emerge through refraction and transmission across the LED grids and organic glass, offering viewers a serene yet vibrant interplay of light and shadow.
The installation’s simulated sunlight evolves continuously, presenting viewers with a unique visual encounter each time they engage with the space. It invites active dialogue and imaginative interaction with light and spatial dynamics. Ultimately, Waves of Code encourages people to reconsider and explore the ever-evolving relationship between machines and aesthetics.


Artwork by
Jiayu Liu
Curated by
Irini Papadimitriou
Exhibition Organizer
Ying Liu
Exhibition Managers
Lisa Ying Li, Hongyao Li
Artist Assistant
Haobo Huang
Technical Director
Xin Fang
Motion Graphic Design
Zijian Chen
Houdini Technician
Tiankun Yu
3D Modeling
Bochen Zhang
Fabrication Director
Junxia Zhang
Spatial Sound
Dave Meckin
Edit
Wanlong Ma
Artwork Film
21 Studio
Curator Documentary
Yi Zhu
Supported by
CC Art Foundation
Collection
Lenovo Future Art Collection. Beijing. CHN
