Xi Li detailed plan and timeline

Oct 2025 – Oct 2026

1. Material Experimentation & Interdisciplinary Collaboration

This thread focuses on developing experimental structures and installations through material testing, conceptual sculptural forms, and knowledge exchange with specialists in engineering, bio-materials, and digital systems. It includes two active research directions.

🔹 Research Direction A: Ice Installation and Environmental Systems

Themes: Ice, memory, geopolitics, climate narratives, bodily labour, sculptural languageGoal: Develop an interactive installation system combining ice, sensing technology, and cooling infrastructure

◾ Oct – Dec 2025

• Conduct in-depth research on custom freezing/display systems

• Begin prototyping small ice forms to test scale, shape, and melting behaviour

• Identify basic components (fans, insulation, metal housing, sensors)

• Consult engineers and fabricators (informal calls or coffee meetings)

• Design initial system diagram (cooling + display + interaction)

◾ Jan – Mar 2026

• Commission or co-develop a small-scale display/freezing prototype

• Begin integrating feedback triggers (light, temperature, time-based decay)

• Document all experiments with process photos and schematic diagrams

• Plan potential public testing phase

Extra Step: If display system is promising, begin modular design testing (repeatability, portability)

◾ Apr – Jun 2026

• Stage small closed demo of the system with feedback survey

• Iterate cooling method: test insulation/condensation resistance

• Start linking digital projections or speculative data overlays

• Prepare long-term preservation method of materials and housing

◾ Jul – Oct 2026

• Expand system to hybrid version: combine with other material (e.g., resin or salt)

• Document entire cycle as a case study for future publication

• Evaluate portability, public usability, and future exhibition potential

🔹 Research Direction B: AI-Driven Digital Narrative System

Themes: Identity fragmentation, algorithmic agency, interactive fiction, emotional modellingGoal: Construct an experimental digital narrative/VR prototype using adaptive input, AI logic, and speculative design

◾ Oct – Dec 2025

• Define core questions: "How can identity shift in algorithmic conditions?"

• Complete Unity or WebXR workshops (online + community)

• Explore AI libraries (GPT/LLMs, StyleGAN, Chat agents)

• Design “scenario tree” for speculative interactions

• Consult with AI developers and digital storytellers for feedback

◾ Jan – Mar 2026

• Prototype one functional scene using Unity (first-person or ambient narrative)

• Develop interaction logic: facial recognition / voice input / screen-based feedback

• Test short demo with a controlled user group

• Begin writing scripts/zines based on this logic for audience interpretation

◾ Apr – Jun 2026

• Add new dimension: user emotional input, poetic input/output, branching paths

• Explore speculative “ritual-like” actions in digital form

• Refine architecture (navigation, memory save/load, transformation triggers)

◾ Jul – Oct 2026

• Plan for online release or test room exhibition

• Link this system (conceptually) to physical installation (from Ice series)

• Create final screen-recordings, zine-prints, and publish beta code structure

2. Process-Oriented “Research → Development → Testing → Feedback” Cycle

This thread overlays the previous two, applying an iterative methodology across the year.

Each 3-month phase includes:

• 1x Research sprint (reading, material/technical trials)

• 1x Development of sketch/scene/system

• 1x Peer feedback event (inviting local artists, collaborators)

• 1x Reflection and process report (for online publishing later)

This will result in:

• 4x Micro-prototypes (installations, videos, AI systems, models)

• 4x Documented internal reflections and learning logs

• 1x Framework for continuous self-supervised interdisciplinary research

This also supports time-based funding justification:

• ~8 months total of research/creation

• ~4 months for testing/documentation/integration

3. Research-Led Digital Infrastructure and Publishing System

Goal: Build an independent, interdisciplinary, research-based digital platform—not reliant on social media—that serves as a living, iterative archive and publishing tool.

◾ Oct – Dec 2025

• Purchase domain & map structure (site architecture and taxonomies)

• Develop in Figma (no code), sketch modular layouts

• Organize folders by medium, research tag, process stages

• Start uploading past works and notes into a local content management system (e.g., Notion or Webflow)

◾ Jan – Apr 2026

• Design visual language: interface, fonts, modular layout, responsive flow

• Begin uploading theoretical writings, diagrams, annotated media

• Integrate web-readable zine format (PDF or scrollable HTML)

• Test with small peer group for clarity & usability

◾ May – Aug 2026

• Publish 2–3 zines (e.g., on algorithmic ritual, melting systems, emotional computing)

• Open short application for guest submissions

• Begin “publishing-as-method” reflections for long-form writing

◾ Sep – Oct 2026

• Public soft-launch of the platform

• Host virtual feedback roundtable / research presentation (recorded)

• Submit materials for inclusion in artist-run platforms or archives
  

4.Ice Freezing and Self-Circulating System Development

Goal: Develop a functional, durable, and portable freezing & melting system for sculptural display and interaction.

This infrastructure is not a single-use tool, but a core system that supports ongoing research into the relationship between ephemeral materials, climate symbolism, and bodily labour. Its development is crucial for prototyping large-scale sculptural installations using ice, and will continue to serve future exhibitions and experiments.

◾ Nov – Dec 2025

• Research phase:

  • Investigate freezing methods used in food-grade or scientific display

  • Explore modular freezer units vs custom fabrication

  • Document technical requirements: insulation, condensation control, base drainage

  • Draft system structure: upper chamber (ice display), lower reservoir (meltwater), embedded sensors (temperature, humidity)

◾ Jan – Feb 2026

• Design + consultation phase:

  • Consult mechanical engineers and refrigeration system designers (e.g. via university labs or independent workshops)

  • Produce system schematics and material lists

  • Price modular components: transparent insulated display box, mini refrigeration unit, drainage tray, water pump, reservoir tank

◾ Mar – Apr 2026

• Prototype fabrication:

  • Commission or build a small-scale test unit with local collaborators

  • Assemble: freezer housing + transparent top + lighting strip + meltwater flow channel + pump system

  • Run stress tests: duration, condensation control, power consumption, melt rate under different ambient temperatures

◾ May – Jun 2026

• Iteration + integration:

  • Improve structural durability (e.g., waterproof sealing, cable routing)

  • Add interaction system (button-activated melt triggers, motion sensors, light response)

  • Integrate data logging (optional) for research use

  • Document entire build with diagrams, bills of materials, and usage instructions

◾ Jul – Oct 2026

• Usage & demonstration:

  • Deploy system in one test setting (open studio demo or research feedback loop)

  • Evaluate long-term storage and portability

  • Prepare documentation for platform publication

  • If successful, begin planning version 2 for future exhibitions

Why is this important?

• Commercial freezer units are either unsuitable for display or lack the flexibility for creative modular integration.

• A self-designed unit allows control over scale, transparency, interaction, and symbolic form (melting as metaphor).

• The system supports broader research into environmental aesthetics, decay, climate data embodiment, and diasporic memory.

• It builds infrastructure for sustainable reuse, not just one-off installation.

🎯 Summary Outcomes:

By October 2026, I will have:

• Developed and documented two highly distinct research lines (ice/environmental installations + AI/narrative worlds)

• Created a sustainable framework for iterative interdisciplinary work

• Built a fully functional digital research platform with public publishing infrastructure

• Produced at least 4 functional micro-prototypes across media

• Formed connections with engineers, designers, and technologists for future collaborations

• Deepened my critical and material methodologies across digital and physical space