The Projection of Mango

Mawenzhu Shi
BFA, University of British Columbia, 2020

A THESIS SUPPORT PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF FINE ARTS

EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN
2024

©Mawenzhu Shi, 2024

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Abstract
This project and research explore how perceptions of self are produced,
deconstructed and reshaped through alternative narratives and interactive installation. It
urges people to reconsider how individuality emerges through engagement with new
media technologies. Combining digital video and interactive technologies with
philosophical concepts such as I-Ching and Agential Realism, this project explores the
process of becoming through a video essay that charts the lifecycle of a fictional
character, named Mango. Mango is a complex entity that is both an imagined being and
an abstract idea, taking on many forms throughout the work. Her changes reflect an
ongoing instability and shift in her identity. Using an interactive video installation, I
conflate the viewer with Mango's image and narrative, mixing subject and object
identities. These experiences demonstrate how we have adapted to an environment so
heavily reliant on hyper-visibility and cybernetics. Our understanding of ourselves is
integrated with the screen image.
The body of work – Mango – combines different media techniques including
video collage, 3D modelling, facial recognition and interactive design to implicate the
audience in a cycle of formation. Through these approaches, Mango offers a new
perspective on how we come to look and perceive the world in the projections of others,
both animate and inanimate entities. It considers technology as an extension of human
desires that hold invisible biases and values.

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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 3
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
POSITIONALITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
ARTISTIC AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 11
DIGITAL EVER-FOLDING ORIGAMI – THINKING OF INTERCONNECTEDNESS .......................................................... 14
FROM FRUIT TO FORM: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF MANGO AND THE FLUID IDENTITY ................................................................16
REFLECTIVE ORIGAMI: AN INTERPLAY OF SELF AND OTHERS .................................................................................................19
SHAPE AND MOVEMENTS: THE DYNAMICS OF CONNECTION ................................................................................................22
THE NARRATIVE – A TEST ON THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................ 25
THE INTERACTIVE SYSTEM – INTO A HYBRID MODE ............................................................................................. 28
AN ONGOING FUSION AND DISPLACEMENT................................................................................................................28
A PROCESS OF BECOMING .............................................................................................................................................31
MONSTER – BECOMING UNPROJECTABLE ............................................................................................................ 37
TRANSFORMING INTO THE STRANGE OBJECT ...............................................................................................................40
THROUGH THE DEFINITION OF MONSTER – GUAI WU .........................................................................................................45
UNFOLDING THE MECHANISM OF MANGO ..................................................................................................................47
CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................................... 50
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................... 51
WORK CITED ........................................................................................................................................................ 52
WORK CONSULTED............................................................................................................................................... 54
POST-PRESENTATION REFLECTION ........................................................................................................................ 55

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Acknowledgement
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisors for their invaluable
support, expert guidance, and dedicated mentorship throughout this journey.
I want to thank Peter Bussigel for generously spending your time sharing knowledge on
Max and helping me with improving the details in my patches and my installation.
I want to thank Gwenessa Lam for your critical insights into both the project and the
paper, and for helping me to refine my language and crystallize my ideas.

My appreciation extends to Matt Stephanson for guiding me on the complicated
recording and sound processing techniques, Sara Osenton for thoroughly examining my
ideas and asking me “why”, and Yang Hong and Kevin Romaniuk for addressing my
installation queries and offering practical solutions.

I am deeply grateful to all my course instructors for their engaging discussions and
genuine feedback. Equally, my gratitude goes out to my peers in the 2024 cohort for
being such a talented and supportive group. Sharing this journey with you is a cherished
memory. Furthermore, I must extend my thanks to the member of my thesis committee
for their feedback that inspires and motivates my future exploration.

Special thanks to all the people doing tutorials online for sharing their expertise and
aiding in my learning process.
Finally, I want to thank my friends and families for every “wow” that you said when
seeing my work and for all the emotional support provided.

This thesis would not have been possible without the contributions of each and every
one mentioned above.

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Introduction
This project is a 10-minute single-channel video installation designed for a single
viewer (Fig 1). This installation includes an interactive component where a camera,
positioned above the screen, captures the viewer's face. These images are subsequently
integrated into the video resulting in a personalized, distorted reflection of the viewer.
The video develops around the life story of Mango, a complex rhizomatic being central
to the narrative. As the story unfolds, the events and the choreography of her
movements illustrate the concepts of I-Ching and Agential Realism that contribute to
the process of her transformation.
As we are living in a time when information and images are easily generated,
manipulated, and distributed, access to information and images is a crucial factor that
contributes to the reality that we perceive. How we interact with information affects
both our self-realization and our recognition of the world. Therefore, this project Mango
asks how individuals manifest through various forms of interaction with others1. It
investigates how interactivity and educational media contribute to authenticating and
constructing beliefs that may or may not be true. Yet the format and methods of media
present them as fact, making it easy for viewers to mold their own values and identities

Others being inclusive of all individuals, events, and entities not previously acknowledged as part of
one's own identity.
1

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alongside what is presented. The viewer's interaction with Mango is a way to explore
how digital technologies can shape the viewer's sense of self.

Figure 1. Shi, Mawenzhu. Thesis Exhibition installation. 2024

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Projection is the term that I use to address the act of interpreting the gap
between what is known and unknown. This research takes the concept of projection as a
means to explore the interconnected relationships between viewers and mediated
images; they function as a type of feedback loop where viewers and mediated images
influence and shape one another. A person’s ability to contextualize or understand an
unknown person or object is based on their past experiences as well as their subjective
(mis)understandings.
In this piece, the process of coming to know Mango is similar to using a projector
to project onto a canvas that already has an image on it2. The viewer’s interpretation
acts as this external light that casts a new image onto the existing picture. The result is a
layered image that recontextualizes both the original subject and the environment
through which the viewer forms their interpretation. Therefore, the projection forms a
mixed image generated from this interaction between the viewer and Mango. Mango
resolves in different ways depending on who is viewing her.

Through my research on the formation of individuality3 and the fragmentary
narrative, I apply these two concepts to my video to create a looped work that not only
portrays the life cycle of Mango but also embodies the power of projection within the

2

The original image refers to the conventional understanding or portrayal of the fruit mango.
I am using “individuality” within Karen Barad’s framework of Agential Realism. Within this framework, individuals
are considered not as separate, pre-existing entities. Therefore, individuality is not an inherent quality that one
possesses, rather, it emerges through intra-action. This will be elaborated on page 30.
3

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story. I utilize video art and interactive design to introduce a complex folded being
Mango, whose rotation and enfolding abstractly represent her capacity to connect
multiple planes of existence. Depending on the perspective from which the viewer
witnesses her unfolding, Mango shifts identities and performs different relationships.
Due to the lack of closure with respect to Mango’s identity within the story, she
becomes a vessel that accommodates different individuals. She is a shuttling ghost, who
lives inside everyone and resolves within the narrative frameworks to which the viewers
are most attuned. She also serves as a subject and a storytelling medium, engaging the
viewers in an experience where an imagined individual is formed through projection and
enfolding into seemingly disparate narratives.

The lifecycle of Mango consists of different stages (Fig 2):

Figure 2. Shi, Mawenzhu. The loop of Mango. 2024

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To unpack the thought-process behind this lifecycle, the following sections of the
paper offer an analysis of the creative process and narrative structure of Mango. First, I
begin with a positionality statement reflecting on how personal experiences influence
my project and research. Next, I discuss the artistic and research methodologies
employed. Last, I trace the lineage of the chapters4 of the video essay, explaining the
process for each of the chapters and discuss how individuality comes into being in the
interactive part of the video. By bridging the concepts of cyborg, tourist gaze, Agential
Realism, I-Ching and Buddhism, I progressively unveil technology’s capacity to blur the
boundaries between subject and object positions and foreground the shift of
perspective between Mango and the viewer.

4

Chapters in this paper will always refer to the chapters of the video essay, not different sections of the paper.

Shi 9

Positionality
As a member of the Dai minority group, raised in the urban environment of
Shenzhen, China, my connection to the cultural traditions of my heritage, specifically
those of Yuanjian, Yunnan province, has always been nuanced by physical and
emotional distance. The use of the mango derives from my affection for this fruit
through a journey of reconnecting with my cultural roots. In my undergraduate project
“Harvest”, I rewrote a song from my father that is dedicated to the Golden Mango
Festival. Rewriting the song involves researching the festival, which is a way of
experiencing my culture through technologies such as screens and media portrayals. It
adds a layer to my identity formation, shaping my connection with my roots through the
representations found online. In this process, I reinterpreted my own identity and found
myself projecting a foreign gaze onto my own narrative. This gaze is similar to what is
described as the “tourist gaze” by Urry John – a specific kind of gaze that manipulates
the object’s self-identification as the result of catering to the aesthetics of the subject,
the tourist, that is looking5. In this case, I am both the observer and the observed,
navigating the dual roles of the tourist exploring unfamiliar terrain and the native deeply
connected to the cultural narrative under scrutiny. This duality highlights a form of selfalienation that reshapes my understanding of the self from both external and internal

5

Urry, John, and Jonas Larsen. The Tourist Gaze 3.0. 3rd ed, SAGE, 2011.

Shi 10
positions. I see this as a form of projection, in which the self is constantly being
reshaped through relations and interactions. It forced me to constantly question my
identity as a Dai descendant living away from my cultural homeland, and consider how
my personal narrative and cultural identity are continually reconstructed in response to
both external perceptions and my internal monologues. Therefore, the impetus for this
research lies in my contemplation of being an observer, a canvas, a bridge and an
intervention in the process of knowing.

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Artistic and Research Methodology
This thesis project is a combination of a video essay and interactive installation
with a narrative that unfolds to reveal the different stages in the life cycle of Mango. The
story is inspired by the Golden Mango Festival held every year in my hometown
Yuanjiang, Yunan, China.

Researching the festival is a way to learn about my own culture and form a better
understanding of how human activities and mangoes interact with each other and affect
the status of each other’s being. This approach includes gathering and generating
images and videos that are then incorporated into the construction of the story. In
creating the video, I worked with the visual elements after I finished the narrative script.
This process involved collecting found images online, filming videos, building 3D models
and creating animations. Using the videos and images I collected and generated, I
experimented with various distortions and collages to help support the storytelling and
highlight some of the technical and theoretical ideas. Simultaneously, I gathered sound
samples from recordings of the physical origami object moving. I rearranged the sound
samples to compose a new soundtrack that serves as the language of Mango. These
approaches create space for contingency, exploring how sensorial experiences are
influenced by technology. The results of these manipulations are not fully predictable.
The directions of where these manipulations lead to are influenced by the capabilities

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and constraints of the software. I conceive of this process as a collaboration between
machine and human, foregrounding a type of cybernetic authorship.

The foundational question of my research is an inquiry into how new digital
technologies such as cameras and computers contribute to reshaping the subjectivity of
viewers through both passive and active interactions. This exploration involves an
examination of the dynamics between the viewer and the viewed within the context of
the interactive video essay. My artistic approach in this project involves experimenting
with, and designing interactive technology to create a more engaging experience for the
viewer. By utilizing face tracking and image distortion in Max/MSP, the interaction points
to another layer of understanding the relationship between humans and machines.
Along with evaluating the possibilities and limitations of the outcomes, this is a reflexive
process that continues to evolve as I explore how individuality is generated within
relations. Through this approach, I attempt to explore how the identity of the viewer and
the viewed could potentially be changed through the interaction between the human
viewer and technology.

Alongside these experiments and tests, my research methodology continues to
be shaped by theorists such as Karen Barad, Donna Haraway and Dorothée King, as well
as works by other filmmakers and new media artists such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul
and Hito Steyerl whose artistic practices have influenced my thinking and have provided

Shi 13
frameworks for my analysis of media art and interactive video installation. In thinking
with these theorists and artists, I construct an understanding of the process of
displacement between the subject (the viewer) and the object (the viewed) while
reflecting critically on the concept of projection and its relationship to systems of power.

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Digital Ever-Folding Origami – Thinking of Interconnectedness
The first two chapters of the video offer a definition of Mango and explain how
Mango is formed. Mango adopts an origami shape that emphasizes the connection of
her surfaces and how folds give shape to her structure. She serves as a form for me to
meditate on the concept that everything is interconnected. By acknowledging that
Mango is not merely a tropical fruit, I explode her definition and properties beyond the
conventional understanding of mango and unveil her rich connections to culture and
identity formation. This exploration is marked by a deliberate playfulness. As I am
projecting onto Mango, she reflects and projects herself back to the viewers,
transcending the role of exotic food and transforming into an entity with consciousness
that dreams of self-actualization.

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Figure 3. Shi, Mawenzhu. Digital reflective origami. 2022

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From Fruit to Form: The Metamorphosis of Mango and the Fluid Identity
At the beginning of the video essay, Mango undergoes a transition from a
conventional-looking mango to an ever-folding origami with a reflective surface (Fig 3).
This transition presents Mango as an entity holding multiple intersecting identities and
narratives.

By assigning the name Mango to this reflective object, the disembodied
articulation and act of naming initiates the unfolding, breathing life and identity into an
otherwise inanimate form. This transformative act is likened to the power of projection –
imposing a subjective definition onto something. Naming is a gesture for me, as the
artist, to impose my subject definition onto the origami. The name is an aggregation of
labels. Assigning the name to origami and personalizing it are both ways of showing the
power of projection. The labels that are being put on the origami contradict what
people usually think of what origami is. How this origami performs within the video also
differs from the conventional understanding of the fruit mango. This cacophony
showcases my ability, as the artist, to change the material that I am using. Also, it is a
way of thinking about how a material’s agency emerges through manipulation. One
essential difference between mango and origami is their differences in affordance.
Affordance, according to Kirchhoff in Material Agency, refers to “the ways in which the
environment lends or offers itself for perception and action – that is, how the
environment creates and shapes opportunities for action in relation to an organism”

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(Kirchhoff 209). The suggested action between a human and the fruit mango involves
eating, whereas the origami involves folding and unfolding. These distinct forms of
engagement highlight the affordances of these objects. My conflation of two completely
different objects and their affordances creates an absurd and playful scenario that
demonstrates how we, as viewers, can suspend our beliefs to accept Mango’s
transformation from fruit to folding origami. This change of material and affordance
shifts our behaviour and perception of Mango. As viewers, we are moulded and defined
by the perceptions presented to us, and in turn, how we see ourselves influences how
we perceive and relate to others.

This irrational equation drawn between mango and origami denies the
dichotomy between animate and inanimate objects. This approach superimposes
distinctly different definitions on Mango and suggests that Mango doesn’t have a fixed
identity. It brings disruption to how viewers perceive things using labels and names and
sets the stage for further displacement between different identities in the following
chapters. Also, the traditional concept of mango is extended into the digital world using
3D animation. This action prolongs the lifetime of Mango and expands her morphing
abilities.

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Figure 4. Shi, Mawenzhu. Physical reflective origami. 2022

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Reflective Origami: An Interplay of Self and Others
The shape of Mango is derived from a physical origami that I made using
reflective film (Fig 4). The reflective surface of the ever-folding origami mirrors whatever
is being projected on her back to the environment. As observers interact with the
origami, their images and environment are integrated into its surface, becoming a part
of what is viewed. Therefore, the surface of the origami is always mirroring its
environment. How it looks is influenced by its surroundings.
In the manifesto Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias, Michel Foucault
claims that the mirror is an example of heterotopia – a juxtaposition of time and space
within one place: “The mirror functions as a heterotopia in this respect: it makes this
place that I occupy at the moment when I look at myself in the glass at once absolutely
real, connected with all the space that surrounds it, and absolutely unreal, since in order
to be perceived it has to pass through this virtual point which is over there” (Foucault 4).
As Foucault explains, we can only perceive the self-image and assure our position in a
virtual world that does not exist in the real world. Therefore, the mirror has the power of
both emphasizing the presence of the body and also undermining the
acknowledgement of where the body is positioned. Looking into a mirror is a way of
finding the self, depending on a virtual that does not exist. This structure of locating

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implies that the self-realization is based on a fiction of the mind and an illusion formed
by the light.

During the interaction with reflective origami, the folds create different facets that
reflect the surroundings from different angles. All the surfaces simultaneously create
interconnected virtual reflections that are tangled with the real world. With the
movement of folding and unfolding, different virtual worlds expand and collide onto
each other. This is a system of generating and destroying at the same time. It is
designed to diminish the significance of the viewer by cancelling the singularity which
supports the one true subject position. It makes viewers become a part of the object
that is being viewed so that viewers occupy both the subject and object position. This
potential shift in position is formed via the interaction with the reflective origami and is
navigated by the projection from the viewers themselves.

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Figure 5. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding unit. 2024

Figure 6. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding along z axes. 2024

Figure 7. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding along y axes. 2024

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Shape and Movements: The Dynamics of Connection
The origami's folding pattern visually embodies Mango's role and identity in the
story. To make the origami into a digital image, I followed the steps of how I made it
physically. I first shaped out the single unit of the fold in Blender (Fig 5) and then
duplicated it 7 times. Depending on which axes they are duplicated, the outcome differs
(Fig 6) (Fig 7). This final shape of the origami is a result of multiplicity that is guided by
the continuity of the folding pattern. In origami, it is not only the folding lines that
construct the shape, it is also how the folding lines connect to the different surfaces and
how they relate to one another. The resulting structure varies depending on how I fold
the origami. By creating and folding this shape in the digital environment, I meditate on
the possibility of Mango being a conceptual fold. In Gilles Deleuze’s framework, the fold
is “an ontology of becoming, multiplicity and differentiation while maintaining a
continuity” (Krissel). It is a metaphor for the constantly changing process of becoming.
In this narrative, Mango goes through different states of change by folding and
unfolding – different edges and planes come into contact and connect but subsequently
separate. Each configuration represents a different potential state of being. Through the
connections and relationships between each fold and plane, Mango develops a new
identity. This constant flux destabilizes any fixed identity and enables Mango to hold
several subject positions. The ever-folding origami form becomes a visual motif within

Shi 23
this story – presenting Mango as a fluid identity that is constantly changing and being
shaped by different connections.
Mango keeps folding and unfolding to create a loop that has the past, the
present and the future all juxtaposed within the trajectory. The movement of the origami
is a vehicle for my contemplation of the idea that everything is interconnected. The
shape of the origami is built with 8 units of folding. The way they connect to each other
allows certain movements to happen. These movements include moving upwards,
moving downwards, moving outwards, moving inwards, and staying still. These five
movements align with the Five Phases(wuxing/五行) in Taoism which are employed to
describe interactions and relationships between phenomena. The Five Phases are also
used to explain the interconnectivity of all things. Paralleling these movements with the
Five Phases is a way of thinking about the formation of this origami through its
movements and how it is defined by its folded structure. By animating these movements
in the video, I enact this philosophy of interconnectedness. I examine how Mango finds
her way of becoming through the process of folding and unfolding, and demonstrate an
ever-changing state guided by these movements.

The concepts of the fold and Taoism, which is about how things are connected,
form the basic logic of this newly constructed world which breeds the rebirth of Mango.
They envelope different ways of knowing about this loop of Mango’s lifecycle with no

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beginning and ending. The interconnectedness of the form performs as an interlude
between Mango’s evolving identity and the increasing potency of her transformative
power developed through the video’s chapters. Naming the ever-folding origami
Mango serves as a pivotal moment, paving the way for a deeper exploration of Mango’s
agency and the complex transitioning dynamics that execute the displacement between
the Mango and the viewer.

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The Narrative – A Test on the Power of Technology
The interactive video essay follows a storyline that consists of Mango’s lifecycle –
the birth, the growth, entering the market / being celebrated, being consumed,
becoming a monster and rebirth. This story includes different stages of Mango’s
becoming and illustrates how she morphs through various interactions. By adopting the
tone of an educational documentary, the style adds an authoritative dimension to the
elaborated content. Utilizing this form of narrative examines the power of media in
delivering information. By educating and authenticating the unsubstantiated
information through a video essay, it’s an approach to reveal video playback
technology’s influences on viewers’ subjectivity, as it alters the way viewers perceive the
world and the world that they are perceiving. This educational format enhances the
transformative power of media and its projection onto its viewers.

This approach to composing a narrative is influenced by Hito Steyerl’s video
essay How Not to Be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File. In this work, she
structures the video in an educational form with five different lessons offering strategies
on how not to be seen in this era of over-visibility. She addresses the significance of the
rules that are buried within the digital exchange methods and how tightly our society
and culture are bonded with these selections filtered by technology. Within this world so
heavily reliant on technology, the widespread distribution and easy-to-manipulate
nature of digital images make them the ultimate condensation of social forces, akin to

Shi 26
the way propaganda operates by shaping perceptions and influencing public opinion on
a mass scale. Whoever acquires the knowledge of and has control over the handling of
digital images possesses an unseen hegemonic power. In this way, digital images not
only mirror the technological dimensions of our society but also encapsulate the social
and political systems in action, along with their inherent biases. This frame of
understanding the digital image influences my approach to handling images within my
work. By using the video essay to tackle issues within this digital era, I am also interested
in employing an ironic and humorous tone to unfold these lessons. Steyerl’s video not
only talks about the visual disappearance within digital images through technology but
also points out the wipe-out and vanishing of certain populations under the political
power of our social structures. It explores how technology exhibits bias, leading to the
marginalization of certain groups in social and political realms. This insightful
interpretation of technology aligns with my research on the inherent power of
technology to influence our behaviour through what is made visible.

Similar to Steyerl, I used a machine-generated voice to narrate the video,
Specifically, I used the voice from Google Translate which is often heard when people try
to translate a language into another. Translation is not just about converting words from
one language to another, but also about navigating and interpreting cultural contexts
and nuances. During this process, some of the original meaning may become distorted
or lost, highlighting the subjective nature of translation, especially when trying to

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communicate something more complex. The use of the Google Translate AI voice serves
to reflect how the programming inherent within technology can be subjective. These
biases or assumptions built into the technology shape our perception and
understanding of reality.

Similar to Steyerl’s approach to the video structure, I am also using chapters to
address the transformative power within Mango’s iterations. The utilization of an
educational format enhances the text's authority. However, it also highlights the
complexities and dualities inherent in conveying information. Political propaganda
frequently uses this educational structure to communicate a biased agenda or
interpretation. Therefore, by combining the educational structure with a fictional story,
this video raises questions about the authoritative voice associated with this format. It
engages the viewer in a critical dialogue about the reliability and manipulation of
information. In this way, the educational format serves not only to inform but also to
expose the inherent subjectivity and power structures that shape how knowledge is
constructed and conveyed.

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The Interactive System – Into a Hybrid Mode
The interactive aspect of the video piece further explores the human-machine
relationship and how these relations bridged through technology shape the viewer’s
identification with the projected image. When the viewer looks into the monitor, the
camera captures and represents their image back to them; the machine now becomes a
spectator and the viewer enters into the frame. “While technology never simply
determines, it cannot but affect the context in which ideas are formed.” (Mulvey 9) This
interactive system shifts the viewer from the subject position to the object position,
creating a new understanding of the viewer’s own identity through their relationship
with the machine. This shift in position alludes to the bi-directionality of humanmachine interfacing – as much as we, human beings, claim to be the creators of
technology, technology is also changing us.

An Ongoing Fusion and Displacement
Reflecting on the impact of technology on us, I integrated an interactive
component into the video, crafting an alternative approach to multimedia storytelling.
By introducing a webcam that captures the face of the viewer which then merges into
the video, I create a field where displacement between the viewer and Mango could
happen. In order to achieve this, I wrote a program using Max/MSP that tracks faces
from the webcam feed and synchronizes the movement of faces within the frame with

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Figure 8. Shi, Mawenzhu. Max Patch. 2023

Figure 9. Shi, Mawenzhu. Image generated by Max. 2023

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the spectral content of the soundtrack (Fig 8). The sound is sampled from the crinkling
of the physical reflective origami in the attempt to construct an abstract language for
Mango. When the viewer moves, the sound is filtered according to the movement. This
is an aural hint for the viewer to notice that the distorted image (Fig 9) that they are
looking at is responding to their movement. Additionally, I incorporate another layer of
interaction with the sound in the case where faces are not detected. When the viewer
doesn’t offer their face to the interactive system, the aural feedback becomes a
consistent crackling sound of the physical origami, forming a fierce glitch-like sound
effect that responds dynamically to the viewer’s movements.
In this system, the webcam reflects and operates upon the human desire to look,
projecting the machine’s gaze. The dynamic aspect of the technological gaze is
discussed in Interface Cultures: Artistic Aspects of Interaction. Dorothée King notes that
in the exploration of new territories, humans sometimes produce and develop new
technology based on the logic of human behaviour.6 In the article, she connects the
concept of the “gaze”7 to digital interactive environments. The gaze is a force of control
that has the power to regulate an individual’s behaviour under a potential observation8.

6

Sommerer, Christa, Laurent Mignonneau, and Dorothée King. "Interface cultures." Artistic aspects of
interaction. Bielefeld: transcript (2008).
7
How Dorothée King uses “gaze” is similar to the concept of projection that I am using in this paper. Gaze
not only indicates the direction of the looking but also implies the power dynamic between the subject of
looking and the object being looked at.
8 In Michell Foucault’s’ work Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, he suggests that when the
viewers know that they are potentially being looked at, they begin to regulate their own behaviours to

Shi 31
Therefore, the one who is being gazed at is subjected to this relationship. By drawing a
parallel between the power of gaze and machines that replicate human action, she
argues that interactive artworks that “focus on the exploration and replication of the
human body” (King 175) have a shared ability to construct a hierarchical structure in
relationships. By introducing the webcam within this interactive system, I am replicating
and reversing the typical human interaction within machines. The webcam is an
extension of the human desire to look and thus it carries a pre-coded gaze. The
technology, therefore, informs the viewer that they are also being watched within this
relationship. This approach leads the viewer into the object position of looking.

A Process of Becoming
The pattern of distortion in the video is designed to eventually reveal the face of
the viewer. The image will morph into a portrait of an overlayed viewer’s face – a result
of the viewer’s own identity and the machine’s projection. This uncanny juxtaposition
emulates the process that happens in daily life – an individual comes into being in every
moment reconstructed by relationships and interactions.
With the nuanced movement and track volume synchronized to the viewer’s face
location, the viewer comes to recognize their own face in the image created by the

conform to social expectations. In this context, the gaze acts as a mechanism of control, where
individuals self-regulate their behaviour in response to being under observation.

Shi 32
machine. The attempt to control the technology system would further merge them with
the machine to a point where the machine becomes part of themselves as an
unattached prosthetic that controls the sound. This fusion creates a hybrid identity –
cyborg – that is defined by both the machine and viewers. According to Donna Haraway,
“A cyborg is a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of
social reality as well as a creature of fiction” (Haraway 150). She argues that the
distinction between human and machine, nature and culture, mind and body are no
longer valid. This blurring of boundaries leads to a penetration of agency that is
distributed across these multiple elements. In this sense, agency is not exclusive to the
viewer alone, it also emerges from the Mango. As a resemblance to human actions, the
interactive system of Mango offers feedback that steers the behavioural and emotional
reaction of the viewer. It affects the viewer’s agency and reconstructs the viewer’s
identity. This cybernetic system functions as a continuing fusion between technology
and humans, it forms a co-constitutive relationship between the two where they
constantly shape each other9.
Philomène Longpré, in her interactive robotic art installation work Formica,
adopts a similar approach to discuss the relationship between machine and viewer. In

Formica, Longpré developed a system that uses infrared and ultrasonic detectors to

9

Haraway, Donna. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. Routledge, 2013.

Shi 33
track movements and locate viewers. The projector located at the centre of the room
projects a video of a fictional figure trapped in a world of red tape in reaction to the
viewer’s movements and behaviour. Simultaneously, as viewers realize the reactive
nature of the figure, they instinctively adhere to the computer's logic and test the limits
of its capabilities. The feedback from Formica forms a pedagogy on establishing the
rules about how to communicate with the machine. Viewers will pick up the ways in
which they found most effective in controlling the image. Fostered by this self-learning
process, the viewer and the fictional figure construct a mutual observation – the viewer
is observed and examined in the same manner in which they observe and examine the
fictional figure. This dynamic prompts a perennial question: are we controlling the
technology, or is technology controlling us? In this exploration, Formica is also
observing the viewer. Viewers become a part of the outcome of the work, falling into the
ambiguity between subject and object.
Similar to Formica, my work also examines the ways in which human and machine
affect each other’s existence within the relationship. The interaction between machines
and viewers is an inquiry into how individual identity is formed under the intervention of
others. In the theoretical framework “Agential Realism”10, Karen Barad describes intraaction as a relationship that subverts the conventional notion of causality that pre-exists

10

Kleinman, Adam. "Intra-actions." Mousse Magazine 34.13 (2012): 76-81.

Shi 34
before the determination of individuality. They claim that “’individuals’ do not preexist
as such but rather materialize in intra-action” (Kleinman 77). Simply put, individuals
come into being through the intra-action with others. The separation and differentiation
between different individuals are not a fixed inheritance; they also emerge through
intra-action. The way people intra-act can create distinctions, giving them unique
abilities to take actions and shape their own identities. This concept of intra-action is not
merely a way of learning how everything comes into being, it is also an ongoing inquiry
about how differences are made. It is a concept that eliminates the notion that
separations are inherent but emerge within the relations. This agency that materialized
within relations is a way of denying fixity of any kind.
Guided by Barad’s approach which rejects dichotomy and foregrounds the
process of becoming, I designed the interactive system as a denial of the dichotomy
between the viewer and the viewed. According to Karen Barad, the separation of
individuals is formed by the intra-action between different entities or discourses
amongst different topics. Therefore, this identity that emerges in watching Mango is not
a fixed attribute that is assigned to the viewer. The viewer is coming into being and
“mattering”11 through the intra-action with the work. As the intra-action proceeds, the
generated image (Fig 10) of the viewer contributes to the narrative of Mango. The

Karen Barad uses the term” mattering” to describe the emerging process of meaningfulness and
significance through intra-action.
11

Shi 35
viewer becomes the object that is being consumed within this relationship. According to
the allegory12, Mango is consumed in the Golden Mango Festival. Therefore, this
interactive system suggests that the viewer becomes Mango in the story. This shift in
identity reflects the idea that individuality emerges through intra-action and is defined
within relationships. It implies that Mango is a medium, a vessel, a container that allows
others to read into the ever-looping story that happens here – at the moment of
viewing, and there – in the narrative of the video. This also leads to a final, what is
Mango becoming?

12

Refers to Mango’s life time story composed within the video essay.

Shi 36

Figure 10. Shi, Mawenzhu. Distorted image of the viewer. 2023

Shi 37

Monster – Becoming Unprojectable
In the 5th chapter, Mango enters the process of being redefined as a monster. The
video offers an explanation of the concept of “monster” via a Chinese cultural lens (Fig
11). In the video, I specifically use the Chinese translation “Guai Wu” (怪物) instead of
the “monster” to address the result of Mango’s transformation for it is a more neutral
and comprehensive term. I explain the term by adopting the traditional Chinese way of
reading – “Chai Wen Jie Zi” (拆文解字 / unpick words and decode characters). Even
though the term Guai Wu is interchangeable with “monster”, the Chinese term is
composed of two characters that, when read word by word, are literally translated as
“strange object”. Guai Wu is used in situations when something unfamiliar occurs which
is undefinable and uncategorizable at the moment. It acts as a temporary substitute
until a more permanent decision is established for this undefinable phenomenon. At the
beginning state of Guai Wu’s emergence, the notion of Guai Wu is vague in the way that
it does not immediately fit in a particular context. As time passes, Guai Wu will
eventually settle down to a stable definition of category where it loses its novelty and
becomes an ordinary concept (Fig 12). This is a transformation from undefined to
defined, transparent to opaque, being incomprehensible to being understood, being
unseen to being seen. Therefore, the real Guai Wu is an ephemeral phase before the
strange object is crowned by the term permanently.

Shi 38

Figure 11. Shi, Mawenzhu. Explain words through a Chinese lens. 2024

Shi 39

Figure 12. Shi, Mawenzhu. Stills from the video. 2024

Shi 40

Transforming into the Strange Object
As the video progresses towards the end, a sequential displacement happens to
Mango from the conventional image of fruit to digital reflective origami, and then to the
concept of the monster. Mango oscillates between solid states of definable and fluid
states of undefinable. This makes Mango shift between projectable and unprojectable
throughout this journey. The visibility and invisibility of Mango’s imagery resonates with
my exploration of handling the image. The process of making the video consists of
researching, gathering, collecting, fabricating, and manipulating. The first stage is to find
images that are of interest. This procedure introduces a certain level of bias from me –
as the creator of images, and technology – representing the algorithm and machines’
capability. This creates a narrative of truth through subjective choices made in the
collaboration between human effort and technological functionality. To illustrate the
“monster becoming” phase through image distortion, I incorporate different image
handling techniques in the video.
The collage and overlay effects invite the viewers to engage the story in a more
subjective way. These two effects are often employed to amalgamate diverse elements
into a single image. The choice of images and the manner of their combination can lead
to various interpretations of the narrative. They introduce a non-linear narrative
structure to the viewer, inviting them to bridge the narrative gaps and construct their
own story by finding connections among the visual elements presented. These

Shi 41
connections are made based on the viewer’s memories, history, culture, and life
experiences. By actively piecing together fragments, the viewer is completing the story
through their interpretation, transforming from a passive observer to an active
participant.
The kaleidoscopic effect and interactive system serve to embed the shape of
Mango into a flat surface narrative. The kaleidoscope duplicates a section of the video
and fans it out through reflections and rotations to create a repeating pattern that
evokes the idea of a loop. This loop echoes the structure of the ever-folding origami.
Even with completely unrelated footage, this looping pattern will remind the viewer that
the story develops out of the origami-formed creature – Mango. It reinforces the notion
that Mango’s growth and form are continually shaped by varying connections. The
interactive system functions somewhat similarly to the kaleidoscopic effect, as it
duplicates and reflects the image. However, it adds another layer of time by overlapping
the past images with the present image. Therefore, the final result becomes a
continuous distortion that forms a dynamic blend of the memory and the now. It is also
a way to illustrate how the present is formed through projection of the past.
In addition to the image handling techniques that I described above, I also add
noise to the images to test the limits of recognition. I am interested in discovering how
much an image can be altered until it becomes indecipherable to machines, yet remains
within the grasp of human perception, or vice versa. Introducing noise serves as a direct

Shi 42
message to the viewer that the image before them has been deliberately altered and
transformed. It underscores the idea that what we see is not an authentic depiction but
an alternate interpretation of reality. Despite these visual or audible disruptions, viewers
have the capacity to to resolve and intimately connect with the abstractions and
textures. The noise is not merely a disturbance but a narrative device, layering the visual
experience with a subjective resonance that varies from one viewer to the next. It's an
invitation to look beyond the surface, to engage with the imagery on a personal level,
interpreting the unfolding events in the video through subjective understanding.

The post-production for the collected footage is a process of alchemy that
embraces chance and contingency (Fig 13). Images with different levels of distortion are
layered together and exported and inputted over and over again to reach the effect that
visualizes the Guai Wu phase before becoming projectable. The final result is a chaotic
and noisy delusional re-enactment of the perceivable truth with irrational interpretation
(Fig 14). Distorted images hover between the recognizable and unrecognizable,
resonating with the Guai Wu phase that embodies the attempt to break free from the
projections of others.

Shi 43

Figure 13. Shi, Mawenzhu. Image being processed multiple times. 2024

Shi 44

Figure 14. Shi, Mawenzhu. Noisy delusional effects. 2024

Shi 45

Through the Definition of Monster – Guai Wu
Asian films and philosophy are a great influence on the concept of Guai Wu as
defined within my own work. As I researched the concept of Guai Wu, I also gathered
information from movies that are related to the monster. In Hirokazu Koreeda’s most
recent film Monster, 2023, he unveils a social phenomenon in which prejudice and
oppression intertwine like an invisible hand that twists and smashes the good things
into hideous tragedies. The monster that Koreeda proposed is a force that changes
people and nests within the mind of every individual. Apichatpong offers another
definition of the “Monster” in his movie Tropical Malady, 2004. The original title of this
film is “S̄ạtw̒ prah̄lād” (สัตวป์ ระหลาด) which means monster or strange animal in Thai. He
posits that love is a kind of disease. In the fervent search for loved ones, you will be
devoured and swallowed by the desire. Within this game of chasing, one will eventually
retrieve to the stage of a beast and become subject to the relationship. It implies a
transformative power that turns humans into savage that are only loyal to their primitive
lusts. These narratives on the monster are different from the Western portrayals. Akin to
my approach, these two films both interpret the monster as a force of alteration that is
formless and habitats within relation. In this case, there is not a physical proxy that is

Shi 46
assigned with the title monster. The monster is only embodied through the interaction
as the intra-action mentioned above13.

The idea that the monster is formless is informed by Wu Xiang (无相), a term that
is used both in Daoism and Buddhism. Wu Xiang, translated as “formlessness14” or “nonform”, is the idea that nothing is inherent with a definition from external interpretation15.
It suggests an absence of fixity in all the rules and encourages a return to the intrinsic
nature of phenomena by letting go of what you already know. It also suggests that
rules, seemingly independent, are all interconnected to weave the truth of the world16.
Therefore, the formlessness in Wu Xiang is the entry point to explore the essential rules
of Guai Wu. In my video, Mango’s porousness and transformative capacities function to
get rid of the original form. Every figure with form could fit in the vessel of Mango while
Mango’s spirit is also shuttling between all the entities within this world. This process is
guided by the idea of Wu Xiang by removing the form of Mango, and embodying the
transformative power of projection, entangling with the ever-looping life cycle of
Mango to narrate the metaphysics of Guai Wu.

13

Page 30
The formlessness that I am referring to is a concept in Daoism and Buddhism, not the concept of l'informe
introduced by Georges Bataille.
14

15

Liu, Yu Zhen. Book Review: “Ru dao an xi yao fang bian fa men” from Dao Xin Chan Shi 道信禪師《 入道安心要

方便法門》 研究. (2019): 100
16
Ibid

Shi 47
Unfolding the mechanism of Mango
The whole of the fifth chapter is dedicated to explaining the Guai Wu phase. This
phase, along with the interactive component employed within the chapter, is an
embodiment of the mechanism propelling Mango through her transformative journey.
Unlike the former chapters, this chapter functions differently. It unfolds the abstract
mechanism of Mango’s becoming in the journey while the other chapters serve as the
text for viewers to delve into. The difference makes the video into a two-part structure.
This two-part structure is also influenced by Apichatpong Weerasethakul approach to
the narrative in his film Tropical Malady. In this film, he constructs the narrative with two
seemingly disconnected sections. The first part is a love story set in the Thai countryside
between a soldier and a young worker. The second part takes an abrupt turn toward the
surreal and abstract, commencing with a folklore about the mythological shapeshifting
tiger spirit that lives in the forest, then follows up with a long chasing game between the
two men who appeared in the first part. In this second part, the soldier becomes the
hunter, and the young worker becomes the prey that is chased by the hunter. The
identities of these two men undergo continual shifts during this chasing game. At one
point, the hunter starts to hide and becomes the prey, and the young man becomes the
predator that searches for the trace left by the hunter. Their encounter at the last part of
this chase is accomplished by a mutual gaze into each other’s eyes. This mutual gaze
mirrors the interactive installation that I built where the machine and human participants

Shi 48
develop a reciprocal consumption of the opponent’s imagery through this act of
looking. Similar to what happened within my interactive installation, through the
encounter of the hunter and the young man, their identities fuse and become one.

Tropical Malady is significant to my artistic research for several reasons. The first
is its structure. The two-part narrative structure seems to depict disparate stories,
ultimately converging into a singular narrative. Much like browsing a website and
inspecting the source code to understand its functionality, the first part of the movie
serves as textual information of the narrative for the viewer to dive into; the second part
embodies the momentum that drives the two men with desire and attraction, unfolding
the mechanism hidden within the relationship.

Another distinctive characteristic of Apichatpong’s work is his approach to
narration. He claims that he wants to reproduce the unlimited desire of fantasy of
dreams in his film. Through long-take single shots and static framing, his film is a feast
of installations within a certain duration of time. It is a compilation of cinematic pauses
that only serve to construct the atmospheric pastiche. Any attempt to articulate the plot
of his film inevitably descends into somniloquence (sleep talking) or nonsensical
rambling. What this film leaves you with is just a sense of feeling that is translated by
the sensorial memory. My approach in Mango also adopts a non-linear way of narrative.
The story is weaved by multiple processes of giving definitions. It only serves as the

Shi 49
descriptive function in constricting an atmospheric framework. What truly happens is
only determined by the experience of the viewers when engaging with the work.

The fifth chapter serves as a pivotal moment, summarizing the internal changes
Mango undergoes through various stages of her existence. By unpacking the term “Guai

Wu” through traditional Chinese linguistic analysis, this chapter functions as both an
extension of Mango’s transition and an explanation of the mechanisms behind her
process of becoming. This narrative strategy adds a way of understanding Mango’s fluid
identity and its formation in relation to technology and viewer interaction, emphasizing
the reciprocal influence between humans and machines.

Shi 50

Conclusion
In conclusion, this thesis embarks on a multifaceted exploration, utilizing Mango
as a shuttling ghost to delve into the intricate dynamics of identity, agency, and the
transformative power inherent in the act of projecting. By intertwining disconnected
concepts, the work disturbs the conventional dichotomy between object and subject.
With a journey that unfolds through chapters, Mango goes through different stages of
metamorphosis. She oscillates between being seen and unseen, adapting to an identity
that is at times clearly defined and at other times left undefined. By utilizing interactive
installations and video essays, the work amplifies a discourse on the act of looking, and
the intricate relationship between humans, technology, and identity. By bridging
different philosophical ideas and theories, Mango evolves and loops back to her origin.
In this iteration, the narrative forms an allegorical structure that embodies how
individuality is constructed, manipulated, and interpreted. This full cycle, encapsulated
within one of Mango's millions of iterations, serves as a poignant reflection on the
perpetual nature of this exploration. As the loop continues, it becomes evident that
Mango's journey is but one iteration among many, hinting at the infinite possibilities
and continued evolution yet to unfold.

Shi 51

List of Figures
Figure 1. Shi, Mawenzhu. Thesis Exhibition installation. 2024 ....................................................... 5
Figure 2. Shi, Mawenzhu. The loop of Mango. 2024 ...................................................................... 7
Figure 3. Shi, Mawenzhu. Digital reflective origami. 2022 ........................................................... 15
Figure 4. Shi, Mawenzhu. Physical reflective origami. 2022 ......................................................... 18
Figure 5. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding unit. 2024 ................................................................................ 21
Figure 6. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding along z axes. 2024 ................................................................... 21
Figure 7. Shi, Mawenzhu. Folding along y axes. 2024 ................................................................... 21
Figure 8. Shi, Mawenzhu. Max Patch. 2023 .................................................................................. 29
Figure 9. Shi, Mawenzhu. Image generated by Max. 2023 ........................................................... 29
Figure 10. Shi, Mawenzhu. Distorted image of the viewer. 2023 ................................................. 36
Figure 11. Shi, Mawenzhu. Explain words through a Chinese lens. 2024..................................... 38
Figure 12. Shi, Mawenzhu. Stills from the video. 2024 ................................................................ 39
Figure 13. Shi, Mawenzhu. Image being processed multiple times. 2024 ................................... 43
Figure 14. Shi, Mawenzhu. Noisy delusional effects. 2024 ........................................................... 44

Shi 52

Work Cited
Deleuze, Gilles. The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque. Rev. ed., Continuum, 2006.
Foucault, Michel. "Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison, trans. Alan Sheridan."
(1977).
---. “Of Other Spaces.” Diacritics, vol. 16, no. 1, 1986, pp. 22–27,
https://doi.org/10.2307/464648.
Haraway, Donna. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. Routledge,
2013.
Kirchhoff, Michael David. “Material Agency: A Theoretical Framework for Ascribing
Agency to Material Culture.” Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology, vol.
13, no. 3, Nov. 2009, pp. 206–20. www.pdcnet.org,
https://doi.org/10.5840/techne200913323.
Kleinman, Adam, and Barad Karen. “‘Intra-Actions’ (Interview of Karen Barad by Adam
Kleinmann).” Mousse Magazine, vol. 34, no. 13, 2012, pp. 76–81.
Krissel, Matthew. The Architecture of Space and the Fold.
Liu, Yu Zhen. Book Review: “Ru dao an xi yao fang bian fa men” from Dao Xin Chan

Shi 道信禪師《 入道安心要方便法門》 研究. (2019): 100
Longpré, Philomène. Formica V.2. 2007, Philomène Longpré's website,
https://www.philox.net/formica_system/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Mulvey, Laura. Death 24x a second: Stillness and the moving image. Reaktion Books,
2006.

Shi 53
Sommerer Christa et al. Interface Cultures : Artistic Aspects of Interaction. Transcript
2008.
Steyerl, Hito. "How Not to Be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File." Year of
creation.
Urry, John, and Jonas Larsen. The Tourist Gaze 3.0. 3rd ed, SAGE, 2011.
Weerasethakul, Apichatpong, director. Tropical Malady. 2004.

Shi 54

Work Consulted
Cartwright, Lisa, and Marita Sturken. "Practices of looking." An Introduction to Visual

Culture 2 (2001).
Deleuze, Gilles. "Postscript on the Societies of Control." Surveillance, crime and social

control. Routledge, 2017. 35-39.
Jones, Rachel. "On the value of not knowing: Wonder, beginning again and letting
be." On not knowing: How artists think (2013): 16-31.
Lakatos, Mihály. "Sights and sounds of big data: Ryoji Ikeda’s immersive
installations." Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies 18 (2020):
109-129.
Sartre, Jean-Paul. The Transcendence of the Ego: An Existentialist Theory of

Consciousness. Hill and Wang, 2003.
Thompson, Krista A. An Eye for the Tropics: Tourism, Photography, and Framing the

Caribbean Picturesque. Duke University Press, 2006.

Shi 55

Post-Presentation Reflection
In crafting this thesis, I started a journey that was as enlightening as it was
challenging. Through the process of developing the Thesis Supporting Document, I
engaged deeply with my own creative concepts, refining and redefining them to better
align with the thematic core of my work. This process not only functioned in clarifying
and solidifying what I did but also unpacked the work through the entanglement with
broader philosophical and technological discussions. Through this process, I learned the
importance of considering the viewer’s experience by guiding them through the text to
understand the key concepts that I am trying to convey. I recognize that this
contextualization is an area that I need to develop further.
The Thesis Exhibition and Presentation were pivotal moments for reflection and
revelation. It brought to light aspects of my work that remained unclear or
underdeveloped. The dialogue and feedback received during the exhibition and thesis
presentation were instrumental in pinpointing areas that needed refinement within my
paper, allowing me to crystallize some of the complex concepts that I had struggled
with. These experiences highlighted the importance of framing my work through a more
personal lens. I learned that by sharing my ideas through a personal narrative, rather
than solely through abstract, broad discussions, I could foster a stronger connection and
empathy with the audience, making the concepts more accessible and resonant.

Shi 56
Furthermore, the questions and feedback received during the exhibition and
presentation are leading to new ideas for further exploration in my work. They prompt
me to think about the future possibility of human-machine interaction within Mango’s
looping story. As I explored the various visual representations in the video showcasing
Mango's transformations, it became clear that humans and machines interpret images in
markedly different ways. In this project, both Mango and the audience engage in a
mutual examination through image-based information. Therefore, further explorations
could involve various forms of storytelling– not only residing in the digital realm but
also manifesting in the real world. The insights gained from crafting Mango’s digital
story provide a foundational experience that now informs my efforts to translate this
narrative into physical form, using alternative methods of narration that involve objects
and sensory interactions. As I mentioned in the conclusion, this thesis project represents
one iteration within the infinite lifecycle of Mango. Being a constantly shifting form,
Mango’s transformations pave the way for the transition from digital to physical
embodiments, enhancing the audience's engagement with the narrative. This entire
presentation process has underscored Mango’s potential to inspire a broader
exploration into how narratives can thrive across various mediums, continuously
evolving and redefining their connections with the audience.