YUELIN LI
INFO
Yuelin is drawn to crafting automata that emotionally engage audiences. The creative process starts by exploring the movement between objects, considering each movement and action as transferable emotion. From there, each object meticulously takes shape through the construction of anthropomorphic mechanical objects, automata, carefully made to evoke personal connections between the viewer and the work. Using aged recycled metals with minimal shifts in color to construct the body and then animating the objects with technology, aim to create spaces for silent dialogues and heightened perception and reflections. Yuelin is drawn to crafting automata that emotionally engage audiences. The creative process starts by exploring the movement between objects, considering each movement and action as transferable emotion. From there, each object meticulously takes shape through the construction of anthropomorphic mechanical objects, automata, carefully made to evoke personal connections between the viewer and the work. Using aged recycled metals with minimal shifts in color to construct the body and then animating the objects with technology, aim to create spaces for silent dialogues and heightened perception and reflections.Yuelin is drawn to crafting automata that emotionally engage audiences. The creative process starts by exploring the movement between objects, considering each movement and action as transferable emotion. From there, each object meticulously takes shape through the construction of anthropomorphic mechanical objects, automata, carefully made to evoke personal connections between the viewer and the work. Using aged recycled metals with minimal shifts in color to construct the body and then animating the objects with technology, aim to create spaces for silent dialogues and heightened perception and reflections. Yuelin is drawn to crafting automata that emotionally engage audiences. The creative process starts by exploring the movement between objects, considering each movement and action as transferable emotion. From there, each object meticulously takes shape through the construction of anthropomorphic mechanical objects, automata, carefully made to evoke personal connections between the viewer and the work. Using aged recycled metals with minimal shifts in color to construct the body and then animating the objects with technology, aim to create spaces for silent dialogues and heightened perception and reflections.

I Know a Place

In this installation “I Know a Place”, I explored the intricate parallels between object interactions and human connections, delving into how external factors such as time and space influence these dynamics. The piece aims to evoke a deep emotional response through the nuanced interplay of movement and symbolism. This installation features an automaton (about 2'×2'×2') and a white balloon, tethered together. The automaton and the balloon move within an area (about 13’x13’), defined by hundreds of white threads that hang down from the ceiling and form a square space. Each thread is adorned with a needle positioned just above the balloon.

5/12/2024
‍Recycled metal, custom CNC gears, Arduino components, white balloon
‍Variable Dimensions

In 'I Know a Place', the automaton and the balloon are not merely objects; they are rich with symbolic meaning.

The automaton, constructed from rigid, aging materials, represents stability and perhaps the weariness that accumulates over time in relationships.

In contrast, the balloon—light, airy, and delicate—symbolizes vulnerability and the capacity for uplift and buoyancy in human spirit. Their tethering illustrates the interdependence often seen in close relationships, where each entity, despite its distinct qualities, influences and supports the other.

The constrained space within which they operate highlights the limitations and boundaries inherent in any relational dynamic, emphasizing how external conditions like personal boundaries and societal norms impact individual roles and interactions.

They breath life into the delicate tension that binds us, capturing the silent dialogue of interdependence and vulnerability.

The ever-present threat of the balloon’s bursting,
the automaton’s inevitable decay,
the poetic reflection on the perpetual give and take,
the intricate interplay shaped by the unseen forces that shape our relational journeys,
all against the relentless passage of time.