Research

The queer art of failure turns on the impossible, the improbable, the unlikely, and the unremarkable. It quietly loses, and in losing, it imagines other goals for life, for love, for art, and for being. ––Judith Halberstam

Till the Great Society is converted in to a Great Community, the Public will remain in eclipse. Communication can alone create a great community. –– John Dewey

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My research delves into the dynamic processes of appropriation and intermediation that shape what I refer to as "public spaces." Specifically, I looks into the "failures" of the public, the technology, and systems of all kinds.

Failure, however, as Judith Halberstam has pointed out, deserves recognition as an alternative way of life. I see these moments and actions of failure as the ultimate form of human creativity, resilience, and response to all those who may not behave according to socially and politically defined "normativity."

Currently, I am particular interested in the making of a public digital space.  I am finishing my master's dissertation, titled Queering Algorithms as an Art of Failure: How LGBTQ+ Content Producers Work Around Digital Normativity in China. I aim to unpack what digital normativity means for an algorithmically forced queer community online, and how content creators react. Drop me a message if you're one of us, or simply interested in the topic!

Previously, I explored failures and public space in a range of contexts, including algorithmic digital spaces, urban environments in Shanghai, NGOs, and public spaces within rural China's education system.

Throughout my work, I draw profound inspiration from the wisdom and insights rooted from the everyday people. Their perspectives and art of living embody the essence of humanity that deserves to be celebrated regardless of the medium through which it is expressed - be it physical, technological, or computational.

For a selected list of published work, please refer to my CV linked below. Please feel free to reach out to me regarding any accessibility issues you may be experiencing.

‍CV (new page, gdoc)↗