10 Questions with Zhiqiang Li

Zhiqiang Li (b. 1993) is a multimedia artist and educator. He is currently a lecturer in Design at Northeast Forestry University and holds a Master’s degree in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art, UK. Based between London and Harbin, his digital artworks have been exhibited at institutions including the Royal Academy of Arts, Lumen Studio Gallery, York Art Gallery, Tate archive, and the Inner Mongolia Exhibition Hall. He has also been twice selected for the China National Arts Fund’s Cultural Heritage Innovation program.

Li’s practice-based research focuses on employing digital technologies, such as facial recognition and the Internet of Things, to create digital artworks that reanimate and reinterpret cultural heritage. His recent projects have revitalised historical and cultural sites such as the Changsha Kiln in Changsha and the Bidston Observatory in Liverpool, embedding them within contemporary digital contexts to ensure their continued relevance. Through these works, he investigates the dynamic relationship between digital art and cultural heritage, seeking to dissolve the boundaries between them. For Li, heritage is not a static exhibit confined to a showcase, but a living space of culture, emotion, and critique. In exploring heritage through digital media, he aims both to reanimate its presence and to transcend and redefine the boundaries of digital art itself.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Zhiqiang Li is a multimedia designer and educator whose practice focuses on the relationship between digital technologies and cultural heritage. His work is deeply influenced by Marshall McLuhan’s media theory and postphenomenology, particularly Don Ihde’s insights, emphasising that technology is not merely a neutral intermediary but an active force in shaping perception and experience. These ideas are woven into the core of his artistic practice.

His engagement with cultural heritage began in 2018 through The Sounding Object project, a collaboration between the Royal College of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. This experience revealed how digital technologies can construct new narratives for cultural heritage. Since then, his artistic practice, spanning sculpture, data visualisation, and moving image, has continually explored the regeneration and empowerment of heritage. His works have been exhibited at leading institutions in both the UK and China, including the Tate Archive, the Royal Academy of Arts, and Bidston Observatory.

Through ongoing practice, Li has gradually evolved into a practice-based researcher, generating new forms of knowledge through creation. He disseminates his design methods and strategies via academic papers and international conferences. His works not only visualise cultural heritage but also foster participation and dialogue, encouraging broader public engagement in the preservation and reimagination of cultural memory.

Birch Bark Jar, 3d Print, 20x25 cm, 2023 © Zhiqiang Li

INTERVIEW

Please tell us about your journey into art and design. How did your studies in Visual Communication at the Royal College of Art influence the way you approach your practice today?

Before studying Visual Communication, I worked as an advertising designer. Studying at the Royal College of Art was like stepping into an artistic utopia; it truly felt like a dream. The tutors constantly encouraged me to pursue what I was most curious about, and the atmosphere was one of freedom and exploration. I was surrounded by artists and designers who shared the same passion and drive; many of them have become long-term collaborators and friends, and their creativity continues to inspire me.
The college also provided invaluable opportunities to work with world-renowned museums and institutions. I took part in collaborative projects with the Tate Archive and the Royal Academy of Arts, where I gained real, hands-on experience within the art world. These experiences gave me both confidence and a deeper understanding of how art and design can intersect with cultural heritage.
At the RCA, there was a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to design. This shaped the way I think about my practice today. I often collaborate across fields, especially within museums and heritage contexts, using art and design not only to preserve but also to reimagine cultural narratives. My time there continues to guide me as a digital artist, where I use technology as both a language and a tool to bring heritage to life in new, communicative ways.

You are both an artist and an educator. How do these two roles feed into each other, and in what ways does teaching shape your own artistic research?

For me, being an artist is a way to express myself and, at the same time, to offer new perspectives to others. Being an educator is quite similar, because at its core, teaching is also about communication.
These two roles constantly inform one another. As an artist, my personal life and experiences often become valuable material that I bring into the classroom. In turn, my students ask thought-provoking questions that challenge me to think more critically and to push my research in new directions.
Ultimately, both roles are about communication, sharing, exchanging, and inspiring. Teaching enriches my artistic practice, while my artistic research provides fresh insights for my teaching.

Your practice spans sculpture, data visualisation and moving image. How do you decide which medium or technology best fits the story you want to tell in a project?

Marshall McLuhan once said that “the medium is the message.” For me, this means that a medium or technology is not just a tool to display an idea, it is already part of the idea itself. It carries meaning and functions as a language for the audience.
When I develop a project, I always ask: Can this medium become part of the narrative, rather than just a vehicle for it? In that sense, I don’t simply choose a medium; the story itself points toward the form it needs. Sculpture, data visualisation, or moving image, each becomes an integral part of the narrative rather than a separate tool.

Your engagement with cultural heritage began with The Sounding Object project in 2018. What did that experience reveal to you about the potential of digital technologies in reinterpreting heritage?

The Sounding Object project in 2018 was a formative experience for me. It gave me the chance to engage directly with heritage objects, not just through visual access, but through a more immediate, sensory encounter.
What I observed in museums, however, was that digital technologies were often treated simply as tools to enhance visitor experience, rather than being integrated into the actual narrative of heritage itself. This realisation inspired me to think differently: digital technologies can function as a language, not just as an add-on.
They have the potential to translate heritage into forms that people can both understand and emotionally connect with, allowing audiences to feel a sense of continuity with the past.

From facial recognition to the Internet of Things, you employ advanced technologies in your work, as you mention in your statement. How do you balance their technical possibilities with your artistic and cultural intentions?

I don’t see technologies as something to add on top of my work; for me, they are integral to my artistic intention. In recent years, tools such as facial recognition and the Internet of Things have been increasingly applied in the heritage field, often in the context of preservation.
For me, these technologies are not just technical possibilities; they have already become part of how we experience and understand heritage. I use them as a language within my practice, taking advantage of their potential to create meaningful ways of communicating with visitors and connecting them to cultural narratives.

Your practice is influenced by Marshall McLuhan and Don Ihde’s postphenomenology. How do these theories translate into your work?

My practice is deeply informed by Marshall McLuhan’s media theory and Don Ihde’s postphenomenology. McLuhan’s idea that “the medium is the message” reminds me that media and technologies are not neutral tools but active participants that shape meaning and perception. This perspective drives me to treat each medium, whether screen, data visualisation, or interactive system, not just as a display device, but as part of the narrative itself.
Don Ihde’s postphenomenology further helps me understand the relational dynamics between humans, technologies, and the world. His concepts of embodiment, hermeneutics, and alterity relations guide how I design interactions. For example, in projects using facial recognition or the Internet of Things, I think about how technology mediates perception, how it becomes embodied in experience, or even how it confronts us as “other.”
Together, these theories push me to create works where technology is not an add-on but a co-creator of experience. They allow me to critically reflect on how audiences perceive heritage and culture, and to design artistic interventions that both reveal and reconfigure those relationships.

Participation and dialogue are central to your projects. What strategies do you use to make digital artworks accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences?

In my digital artworks, I often use the human body itself as a medium of participation. Drawing on Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology, the body acts as an anchor to the world; it is through our bodily engagement that we encounter and create knowledge. For this reason, sensory experience becomes central to how audiences interact with and experience my works.
By integrating the body with technology and cultural heritage, I create opportunities for people to connect with my concepts and ideas in a direct and embodied way. At the same time, I do not hide the imperfections of technology. For example, errors in facial recognition or data processing often become part of the work, offering audiences moments to reflect critically on both the possibilities and limitations of digital systems.

Danceing with smartphone, multimedia installation art, 2025 © Zhiqiang Li

Working across different countries and contexts, between the UK and China, what challenges have you faced in presenting digital heritage projects, and what have you learned from them?

The biggest challenge I have faced is the homogenisation of technologies across different contexts. Technology is often treated simply as a neutral tool for protection, dissemination, or display, rather than as an active part of the heritage narrative. This instrumental view can limit visitors’ ability to engage critically, to imagine alternative perspectives, and to reflect on the deeper relationship between technology and heritage.
From this, I have learned the importance of designing projects where technology is not just functional, but interpretive, used as a language that can open up dialogue and create more meaningful connections between audiences and heritage.

Looking ahead, what themes or projects are you currently exploring, and how do you see your practice evolving in the coming years?

I am currently developing a project on the stories of female “computers” who worked at Bidston Observatory in Liverpool. These women played a crucial but often overlooked role in producing tidal and astronomical calculations, yet their contributions have largely been hidden within scientific history. By using digital media, such as interactive installation, moving image, and data visualisation, I aim to reinterpret their experiences and make their stories visible in new and engaging ways.
Looking ahead, I plan to continue exploring themes of gender, technology, and heritage. My practice will increasingly focus on how advanced technologies, from AI to the Internet of Things, can be used critically, not just as tools, but as languages that reveal forgotten histories and open spaces for dialogue. I see my work evolving toward creating participatory, embodied experiences that connect audiences more deeply with both cultural heritage and contemporary social issues.

Lastly, what is your 5-year plan? Where do you see yourself and your work in five years from now?

In the next five years, I hope to expand my collaborations with heritage institutions, both in the UK and in China. My focus will be on working with smaller, lesser-known heritage sites rather than only the most iconic landmarks. I believe these local and overlooked sites hold rich cultural value, and through my practice, I want to help bring them into broader public awareness.
By combining digital technologies with artistic interpretation, I aim to create works that not only preserve but also reinterpret these sites, making them accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. My goal is to contribute to cultural development by fostering dialogue between different communities and contexts, and to use my artworks as a platform for cultural exchange between China and the UK.
In five years, I see myself continuing to build a body of work that bridges art, technology, and heritage, while also serving as a resource for cultural institutions seeking innovative ways to connect with their audiences.

Artist’s Talk

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