The 2nd Cultural and Creative Industries Master's Degree Show "Wingbeat" Award-winning works introduction

The 2nd Cultural and Creative Industries Master's Degree Show "Wingbeat" of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University was successfully held from 5 to 8 May 2025, at the G/F of AS Building. Centring around the theme "Wingbeat," the exhibition featured graduation projects from four CCI specialisations: Content Production, Creative Industries, Cultural Industries, and Interactive Media. Through diverse artistic expressions, including film, installations, and interactive media, the works demonstrated graduates' multidimensional reflections on both self and society.

The exhibition honoured 19 award-winning works, with 4 from Cultural Industries, and 5 each from Creative Industries, Content Production, and Interactive Media, respectively.

Whether reflecting on the clash between tradition and modernity (Cultural Industries), pioneering explorations of social issues (Creative Industries), delicate reconstructions of emotion and memory (Content Production), or poetic dialogues between technology and humanity (Interactive Media), each awarded work functioned like a precise "wingbeat." Through unique perspectives and compelling artistic languages, they created ripples of resonance in viewers' minds.

Cultural Industries Pathway

1. SEE

Chenxiao Sun, Fangxiao Cheng, Ran Yan

The theme of our exhibition is “see”. “Seeing” is not only a visual act, but also an act of awareness, understanding and empathy. We want visitors to immerse themselves in the world of the visually impaired and to feel their surroundings through touch and sound.

In many public places, there are too many barrier-free facilities that are neglected and occupied, and for the visually impaired, barrier-free facilities are not an option but a necessity. The reason why we seldom see the visually impaired in our daily lives is that the construction of barrier-free facilities is still backwards.

The exhibition “see” is both an artistic exploration and a call to action. We hope that the needs of the visually impaired can be seen, and we also hope that ordinary people can see and guard the barrier-free facilities in their lives, so that we can create a highly inclusive social environment and give a helping hand to those in need.

2. Cultural Burger Shop

Ping Cai, Yumeng Wang

"Cultural Burger Shop" explores the phenomenon of rapid cultural consumption, inviting audiences to reflect on the current dynamics within the cultural industry. In the context of an accelerating society, it reveals how culture is often produced as a fast-food-like commodity: quick, disposable, and lacking depth, creating consumption traps that supplant meaningful cultural engagement.

3. Luminous Intelligence

Jing Zhang, Gezhi Song, Yue Qi

The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and art education is impacting students ' motivation and emotional input. With the rapid advancement of AI technology, its integration into education has become a global trend, demonstrating significant potential, particularly in enhancing students' motivation and emotional input.

In the context of art education, generative AI tools provide a variety of creative ideas and techniques that allow students to participate more actively in the creative process and produce artwork more efficiently. The project Luminous Intelligence focuses on the integrated application of AI in the field of arts education. It aims to highlight the positive impact of AI technologies on students' motivation and emotional input, showcase students’ artworks created with the assistance of AI and explore innovative models for the future development of art education.

4. INFINITE LOADING

Yiyang He, Tianyuan Zhu

INFINITE LOADING is an immersive interactive installation that visualises how time, attention, and anxiety accumulate through everyday doomscrolling.

In a white, enclosed space resembling a bedroom, visitors are invited to lie down and scroll as usual. As they do, time is printed, anxiety inflates, and the hidden cost of digital habits becomes tangible.

This project explores the paradox of presence in the digital age, where passive gestures, repeated endlessly, quietly reshape our perception of time and self.

Will you keep waiting, or press exit?

Creative Industries Pathway

1. UNSAID

Jie Zhao

The installation is a small door to an old time, a shrunken locker loaded with the temperature of youthful memories. The door is slightly open, and inside are quietly displayed those small objects of youth, each bearing the privacy, dreams and struggles of women growing up.

The exterior of the cabinet is covered with hand-drawn graffiti in acrylic paint. These seemingly insignificant details make up the silent narrative of women's growth - the voices that have been ignored, the secrets that have been quietly hidden, the summer days that will never return.

It tells the imprint of campus life, but also hides the tension between the social discipline and individual expression encountered by women in the process of growing up. The handwriting, the doodles, the locked secrets are all part of the female experience. They carry the intersection of freedom and bondage, dream and reality, and also invite the audience to look back on their youth and re-examine the position and identity of women in society in the temperature of memory.

2. THE SPIRIT OF NUO

Luyitian Zhou, Lingyu Ren, Ying Lu, Yile Gao, Xiaohan Yan

Intangible cultural heritage is of great significance to a nation. It is an important medium for inheriting a nation's customs, beliefs and values. Young audiences like novelty and anti-routine, the collision and fusion of modern and traditional, and look forward to innovative design of traditional culture and combination with modern popular elements. Integrating traditional Nuo Opera culture into modern IP design can create a unique image that combines mystery, cultural core and trendy aesthetics.

Nuo culture as the core of China's non-legacy, to create a "traditional aesthetics × future technology" of the interdimensional IP ecology. Through the reconstruction of Nuo mask visual symbols and spiritual core, creating a connection between ancient beliefs and the digital age of cultural carriers, explore the innovative path of non-heritage revitalisation. Design "Nuo spirit" series of roles, Nuo masks fierce God, God and other images into both the Oriental sense of mystery and Cyber beauty of the guardian, half-mask half-face conflict design metaphor for the symbiosis of tradition and modernity.

3. INDIGO HEALING

Dan Wang, Yuhao Xu

In an era marked by rapid rhythms and growing emotional challenges, Indigo Healing offers a unique bridge between intangible cultural heritage and mental well-being, weaving together the ancient artistry of blue calico and the meditative tradition of mandala creation.

Originating from Nantong, a city renowned for its centuries-old blue calico craftsmanship, the art of indigo dyeing captures the wisdom of natural materials and the rhythms of handmade life. Every motif—be it a blooming flower, a winding vine, or a celestial pattern—holds a quiet dialogue between humanity and nature. Meanwhile, mandala art, characterised by its symmetry and intricate geometry, serves as a visual compass for individuals seeking inner stillness, emotional clarity, and resilience.

At Indigo Healing, we believe that in reconnecting with the act of making—feeling the texture of cloth, the flow of dye, the repetition of patterns—participants can gently release accumulated emotions and rediscover self-awareness. Through immersive experiences and creative interactions, the project revitalises traditional blue calico techniques in a contemporary, healing context.

In the face of modern-day anxieties, loneliness, and pressure, Indigo Healing invites a return to slowness, presence, and cultural belonging.

A piece of cloth, a brushstroke, a breathing moment—A journey of healing begins with the depth of indigo.

4. Voices of the City

Tingjun Yu, Miao Ye

During our travels around China, we discovered a very interesting phenomenon: different provinces and cities are gradually ingeniously integrating local dialects with cultural and tourism experiences to create cultural symbols with regional characteristics. This combination not only enhances the tourists' sense of immersion but also becomes a new way to spread local culture.

For example, in Tianjin, locals print representative dialect words and phrases on the walls of scenic spots, which become unique photo-taking spots and attract tourists to stop; in Guangzhou, we saw small items designed as keychains of Cantonese daily expressions, which are both practical and interesting; and in Sichuan and Chongqing, a variety of dialects are made into postcards, which become a "sound memory" for tourists to take away.

It is precisely inspired by these creative forms that we hope to let more people feel the charm of the combination of dialects and cultural tourism through this exhibition. We will present the language characteristics and cultural stories of various dialects through illustrated dialect theme posters, and set up interactive devices that can sound, so that the audience can not only "see" the dialects, but also "hear" their charm and vitality. We believe that when a passage is not just read but heard, the emotions and culture it carries will be warmer and more resonant.

5. The Cultural and Creative Design for Liyang Hulu Village

Junhui Sun, Zhihui Song

Hulu Village (formerly known as Zhongjia Village) is located in Daitou Town, Liyang City, Changzhou. It is named for its shape, resembling a gourd, and has a history of over 300 years of gourd cultivation. In 2021, the transformation of characteristic rural areas was initiated. Relying on the local gourd industry and the Carlsberg Tianmu Lake beer industry chain advantages, the concept of "Gourd Brewing Future Village" was innovatively proposed, and it was selected as a key village for rural tourism in Jiangsu Province.

According to the background research, tourism in Hulu Village is lively during the day but quiet at night. Also, the existing cultural and creative products of Hulu Village are highly homogeneous, have a weak relation to the travelling experience, and travellers have ambiguous brand recognition.

This project aims to stimulate the local tourism industry with a series of cultural and creative products according to Hulu Village’s history and current industrial advantages. Trying to use the reconstruction of cultural semiotics, the contemporary transformation of intangible culture, the innovation of night economy, etc, methods to design cultural and creative products and give fresh blood to the souvenir market in Hulu Village.

Content Producing Pathway

1. Find Your Own Cinema

Siqi Guan

Step aside from the everyday“human elevator" and discover the "Animal Elevator" – an installation inviting you to explore the personal journey to Find Your Own Cinema. Situated beside a functional lift, this constructed elevator offers a metaphorical ride into the heart of viewing preferences.

Inspired by research into Suzhou's grassroots film organisation, Baixiang, this experience explores how diverse audiences connect with film and community. Enter the portal. Inside, you won't find floor numbers, but descriptions of different "Cinema Species" – archetypes representing unique ways of engaging with movies, from the contemplative Owl to the social Golden Retriever or the independent Cat.

Which description resonates with you? Identify with a species, then approach the corresponding glowing peephole "button" on the wall. Peer inside to glimpse a miniature world reflecting that specific cinematic sensibility – a visual echo of the films and feelings sought by that particular viewer.

This installation visualises the quest inherent in "Find Your Own Cinema," celebrating the value of spaces like Baixiang that cater to individual journeys. To delve deeper into the research exploring how these vital community spaces operate and thrive, scan the QR code on the elevator's exterior for the accompanying video essay.

2.Two Chairs,Two Eras

Jiayi Chen

Through a pair of contrasting chair installations, this paper explores the historical discipline and contemporary liberation of women's roles in society. A chair, with its stiff wooden boards and stereotyped lines, metaphorically represents the obligations and restrictions imposed on women by traditional society. The other chair allows people to freely spread their legs when sitting on it without binding themselves, symbolising the lifestyle that modern women choose independently. The work combines the social background of the "she economy" and uses a concrete design language to prompt the audience to reflect on the evolution of gender roles.

In the exhibition, visitors can take their seats in person to experience the differences between the two states, thereby intuitively perceiving the transformation process of women from "being defined" to "self-defining".

3. An Interactive Journey in Suzhou

Yilin Li

My project explores how interactive multimedia experiences in cultural heritage tourism can help visitors do two important things at once:

Enjoy sharing cool moments on social media and actually connect with the cultural stories behind those experiences.

Think about it – young people (especially Gen Z) are snapping photos for Instagram anyway. Why not use fun, interactive tech to turn those photo ops into real learning moments? By making cultural heritage feel fresh and relatable through games, AR filters, or interactive displays, we can help today's social media generation become tomorrow's culture keepers. It’s about creating memorable experiences that people want to share online while secretly teaching them why our cultural treasures matter – so these traditions don’t just survive, but thrive for future generations.

4. MING'S PERSONA LAB

Yonghan Yue

"Ming's Persona Lab" is an immersive art experiment that explores the construction of personas in the digital age. Researcher MING is obsessed with a perilous experiment: he deconstructs himself into quantifiable parameters such as "style makeup," "social media tags," and "viral templates," attempting to mass-produce the perfect online persona. Driven by extreme perfectionism, MING injects an unknown and dangerous substance into Subject No. 1116. As the lab alarm sounds, the "perfect specimen" awakens...

The exhibition space is designed to replicate MING's laboratory. The main screen continuously plays MING's persona experiment logs, while the surrounding mirrors project fragmented personas, online comments, and MING's inner monologue. Visitors can scan a code to view MING's real social media accounts. This darkly humorous performance art not only recreates the production line of digital personas but also uses the absurdity of the laboratory setting to metaphorically illustrate the struggle between real and virtual identities.

When the real you confronts the perfect persona, in this identity experiment, who do you choose to be?

5. Godard

Xiaoxi Yu

This work examines Godard's entire creative trajectory by analysing the internal and external composition of his cinematic works, exploring the relationship between his subjective desires, artistic pursuits, and political ideals, thereby addressing why assessments of Godard often fall into a contradictory state. Simultaneously, this study focuses on Godard's works during his "political turn" period (Dixon, 1997), analysing the complex interactive relationship between Godard and left-wing movements.

The work proposes that the "Godard" in film history and left-wing movement history is essentially a "situation," which has become a valuable legacy for left-wing movements globally. This value can be observed in China through the works of fifth and sixth-generation filmmakers, and even in Jia Zhangke's latest text, "Caught by the Tide".

Interactive Media Pathway

1. Love & Deep Space Fanverse

Junyuan Shao

Love & Deep Space Fanverse is an immersive exhibition delving into the vibrant culture of otome game fandom. Centring on the groundbreaking 3D romance game Love and Deep Space (which grossed over $400 million globally in its debut year), it showcases how female players cultivate a unique cultural ecosystem through in-game narratives and real-world community practices. The experience unfolds through two interactive dimensions: a digital zone presenting dynamic archives of fan-created content (including doujin works and offline events), and a hands-on workshop where visitors craft "badge dresses" merchandise – physical embodiments of virtual affections. By bridging in-game character relationships with tangible creative rituals, the exhibition illuminates the profound connections women forge between digital intimacy and real-world belonging in contemporary fandom culture.

2. Cultural Heritage Dissemination Project

Yiqian Ma

This project aims to establish an interactive digital platform that combines digital displays, interactive experiences, and knowledge sharing. The platform will feature 3D models embedded via Sketchfab, VR modules, case studies on digital restoration, and a user feedback system.

3. BeadBuddy Valley

Tingyu Fan

Have you ever imagined that an AI could become your “friend” in a game?

This exhibition explores real stories of Chinese players who use AI companion software. Through interactive gameplay in Stardew Valley, side-by-side AI vs human mode challenges, and hands-on DIY character crafting, you’ll step into the everyday world of virtual companionship.

More than just a showcase of technology, this is a space for reflecting on emotion, loneliness, and digital social life. Whether you're a gamer, an AI enthusiast, or someone interested in gender and emotional connection, you'll find something here that speaks to you.

Come and experience an AI companionship that feels surprisingly human.

4. BLACK MYTH WUKONG

GAME&CULTURE INTEGRATION

Shihang Pang

This study employs Black Myth: Wukong as a case to examine the potential of video games as a medium for the transmission of Chinese culture within the context of globalisation. The research investigates how traditional cultural elements are reactivated and communicated across cultures through the game's narrative structures, symbolic systems, and interactive mechanisms using qualitative case analysis, questionnaire surveys, and in-depth interviews. The findings suggest that digital games, as significant carriers of cultural soft power, embody a dual role in fostering cultural innovation and facilitating global dissemination in the contemporary era.

5. Gimme That Beat: Interactive AI Music Workshop

Peiqing Zhang

Still envying others for creating music with AI? Come to the "Gimme That Beat: Interactive AI Music Workshop", and you can easily try it! Based on an AI music experiment, this workshop uses fantastic technologies to create a musical adventure. In the NFC Music Poster Area, a simple "tap" starts your journey into the world of AI music. The Music Audition Experiment Area allows you to explore the differences between AI and human-created music. In the AI Music Creation Area, your musical inspiration can soar freely. What's more, the CD Installation Area is decorated in an extremely cool style, filled with futuristic tech elements, it is a perfect spot for taking pictures. Come and create your musical memories!

Though the exhibition has concluded, the ripples of "Wingbeat" persist—each work lingers like a seed carrying infinite possibilities. We extend our deepest gratitude to all participants whose presence and engagement allowed these works to truly take root and flourish.

Provided by Yawen Deng

Edited by Wenzhen Li

Photos courtesy of Yawen Deng