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Information Experience Design (MA)

Yujing Zheng

On the acrylic display sits a ring made from discarded electronic waste.

Yujing Zheng(b.1999) is a visual artist who graduated from Fuzhou University in China with a degree in lacquer painting and is currently studying for an MA in Information Experience Design at the Royal College of Art in London.

As an artist, she is committed to presenting thoughts and questions through models, objects, projections or spatial narratives. She hopes to engage in a more multi-layered pictorial narrative through visual symbols such as images, sculptures, video and text, working to immerse the viewer in a world where imagination meets environmental awareness, a world where innovation merges with the urgency of ecological reality.

Degree Details

School of CommunicationInformation Experience Design (MA)RCA2023 at Battersea and Kensington

RCA Kensington, Darwin Building, Upper-ground floor

A photograph of the artist's life

“If we must survive in the 'ruins of capitalism' – what some call the Anthropocene – we need an example of how totally unexpected connections can be made between the economy, culture, biology, and survival strategies. ”

– Bruno Latour

My project is an imaginative exploration through design fiction that aims to envision a potential future approach to ecologically sustainable data storage. 

By delving into the intricate relationships between humans, electronic devices, and the environment, I present a remarkable vision of a future where data storage becomes an act of ecological stewardship that transcends its traditional role, creating meaningful connections between digital practices and ecological well-being. 

Through the narrative I weave, I propose a symbiotic link between future cloud rings, fungal ores, and the growth of unique data trees. I hope to use this narrative to expand our ecological understanding, exploring the possibilities of a new interconnected ecology and sparking a collective consciousness about the future of data storage and its profound ecological implications. And through this creative exploration, critically and experimentally reflect on the pressing issue of e-waste pollution, revealing the consequences of society's heavy reliance on electronic devices and the exponential growth of electronic data.

one showing a future world of environmental degradation, one showing an alternative ore mater
A man is reading this Potosi's diary
Written by scientist Potosi since 2043, this research diary offers a vivid account of a future world grappling with depleting mineral resources crucial for chip production and the escalating pollution resulting from our dependence on electronic waste and the need for more storage space. It captures the scientists' exploration of fungal ores as an alternative chip material and their endeavors to develop an electronic chip using these ores as a key ingredient.

Medium:

Publication, AI, Photography

Size:

A5(148mmx210mm)
book-artdesign-fictionecologyenvironment

Part1: Potosi Cloud Ring

Continued research by scientist Potosi eventually resulted in the development of an environmentally friendly, touchable cloud device crafted from alternative ore materials suitable for chip production.  As Potosi has been a universal synonym for unlimited wealth throughout history, even in times of decline, it was considered an exclusive miracle and a divine blessing for access to inexhaustible wealth. He therefore also gave the name "Potosi Cloud Ring" to this innovative creation, marking its entry into production with the hope that the ring would power future data storage and enable the long-term development of the environment.

Some rings made from e-waste are used as a proxy for new sustainable cloud-based devices in a future world.
Ring display
A display image of this ring being worn
Ring display
Ring display
Ring display
Using rings as a medium to connect people, the artist uses discarded electronic waste to present Potosi, a touchable cloud ring that stores personal emotional data (affection, love, friendship).

Part2: A Potosi World is Forming

Potosi goes beyond data storage, housing electronic chips crafted from fungal ores that not only store information but also nurture plant growth. This groundbreaking innovation revolutionizes our data storage experience, fostering the birth of a unique data tree and the emergence of a vibrant ecosystem.

Potosi

Welcome to Potosi World, a realm where cutting-edge technology merges seamlessly with nature to revolutionize your data storage experience. At the heart of our innovation lies an extraordinary electronic chip crafted from a remarkable new material: fungal ore. This fusion of technology and nature symbolizes our commitment to sustainability and environmental harmony. Even beyond its initial purpose, this chip possesses latent potential. Once discarded, it undergoes a metamorphosis, becoming a catalyst for growth, nurturing unique data trees that interlace to create a vibrant digital ecology. Envision a world where cherished memories bloom, intertwining with your life, and your digital footprint flourishes as a thriving ecosystem. Embrace the Potosi and embark on a journey where technology and nature unite to shape a greener, more connected future.

 
Moving image
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems
Video split screen showing how future data clouds will help plants grow to form new ecosystems

Medium:

Wearable devices, Acrylic, E-waste, UV glue, Moving image

Size:

Acrylic(8x8x2cm)
design-fictionenvironmentspeculative-futuressustainable-futures
Future data forest generated by training AI with the collected image data
Future Data Forest – The artist collects unforgettable, beautiful image memories of people around her that they wants to treasure, and trains the AI to generate a forest of data unique to each person before processing the images.
Future data forest generated by training AI with the collected image data
Future data forest generated by training AI with the collected image data
Future data forest generated by training AI with the collected image data
Future data forest generated by training AI with the collected image data
Through the electronic data collected from different people, the resulting data tree is presented in the form of a sculpture.
To present the initial form of a future data tree, the artist uses collected childhood photos and their memories to generate different forms of data saplings through trained AI, which are then made into sculptures in the form of clay.
Through the electronic data collected from different people, the resulting data tree is presented in the form of a sculpture.

Medium:

Sculpture, Clay, Soil, AI

Size:

sculpture(50cmx25cm),Data Tree(Size variable）
design-fictionenvironmentfine-artsculpturespeculative-futures
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Royal College of Art

Registered Office: Royal College of Art,
Kensington Gore, South Kensington,
London SW7 2EU