Pete Jiadong Qiang: Internal Alchemy Through Gaming Technologies

Pete Jiadong Qiang will present two of his recent works, the VR game HyperBody and the visual novel Project Search, both of which emerge from his auto-ethnographic creative process. These projects are defined by their distinctive aesthetics, embracing incompleteness and imperfection through a blend of traditional and digital techniques. Together, they offer a unique perspective on Chinese ACGN (Anime, Comic, Game, and Novel) fandom culture, incorporating elements such as hand drawing, animated illustrations, 3D scanning, the Unity game engine, Wwise sound engine, WebXR platforms, and brain-computer interface technology. Through this interdisciplinary approach, shaped by his background in architecture, game design, virtual reality, and neurotechnology, Qiang explores the concept of "internal alchemy," offering a glimpse into the innovative intersection of these fields and inviting reflection on the possibilities of merging art and technology in new forms of expression.

Both HyperBody and Project Search will be exhibited at the Emerging Media Space from 16:00 onwards, and attendees are encouraged to experience these works live before the talk.

Dr. Pete Jiadong Qiang specialises in blending architectural, pictorial, and game spaces. Known for architectural maximalism, his research merges physical and virtual realms in ACGN contexts. He is currently a Turing Research Assistant at the Institute for the Augmented Human, the University of Bath. He graduated from the Architectural Association (AA) and completed his PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London. Website: beijing.systems

The Virtual Realisms public lecture series critically investigates the evolving forms of reality created through algorithmic worldbuilding, where advanced digital technologies give rise to new and diverse interpretations of what is considered ‘real.’ As virtual spaces reach unprecedented levels of fidelity, this seemingly contradictory term suggests that, rather than a unified representation of our reality, we are now enmeshed within multiple new artificial realisms shaped by the proliferation of immersive technologies, CGI, and intelligent automation across all sectors. Spanning both technical and speculative practices, the series of lectures will explore how real-time virtual environments, and the technologies that underpin them, are redefining the logics of cultural production, creativity, and power in our increasingly rendered world.

Virtual Realisms is a monthly series of public lectures taking place throughout the 2024-25 academic year at the University of Westminster in London, UK. For more information about the series, please visit www.virtualrealisms.com.

Virtual Realisms is curated by Tadej Vindis, Lecturer in Creative Technologies, and Teodora Sinziana Alata, Lecturer in Creative Computing and Algorithmic Cultures, at the University of Westminster.

The series is organized as part of the Quintin Hogg Trust funded project, "Emerging Technologies and Advanced Technological Literacies for Creative Disciplines", led by Dr. Elizabeth Allen and Tadej Vindis, and is part of a wider CreaTech initiative of the College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries at the University of Westminster. Graphic design by Andrew Mallinson.

Host or Publisher Virtual Realisms