观音土Kaolin
July 2025 - December 2025
Sophia Wan
Visual Storytelling / New Media Installation
Max/MSP, Arduino
Arduino Uno, relay, bulb, Kaolin
观音土Kaolin is an interactive visual storytelling project that preserves the memory of the Great Famine of the 1960s. Inspired by my grandfather’s experiences of starvation and loss, the project seeks to restore the real impact of the famine on ordinary families in rural Southwest China. People nowadays are forgetting this difficult and hopeless past, but the damage inflicted by the Great Famine on people is indelible. By combining archival research, oral history, and interactive media, Kaolin re-examines this period of history while creating a bridge across generations. It invites audiences to engage with both factual and emotional dimensions of the famine, fostering empathy, reflection, and a deeper understanding of resilience and human experience.
Exhibition @NYU Shanghai IMA Gallery