Thousand Threads, Thousand Universes (《千针千界》）— An Exploratory Practice Encapsulating First-Year PhD Research
Co-curator & Artist
May. 2024 to Nov. 2024
Audio-visual projection installation ∞: Thousand Threads, Thousand Universes 2024 (《∞：千针千界》), by Misha Mi LIN
1078 x 1078 mm
3 mins 13 seconds
Tsinghua Alumni London Art Exhibition: Ubiquitous Technology: The Science of Aesthetics
The Tsinghua Alumni London Art Exhibition, Ubiquitous Technology: The Science of Aesthetics, is an interdisciplinary showcase that explores the convergence of art, design, and technology, highlighting how technological advancements reshape artistic expression and cultural heritage. Hosted by the UK Tsinghua Association (UKTA) and led by Secretary-General Yuan Gao, with advisor Nancy Zetian Zhang, the exhibition brings together a distinguished group of Royal College of Art (RCA) alumni to present works that push the boundaries of traditional and digital media.
Spanning from 9th October to 18th November 2024 at 20 King Street, St. James’s, London, the exhibition is set in a Grade II listed building near the Royal Parks and Buckingham Palace, providing a prestigious venue for discourse on technology-driven aesthetics. Supported by partners including JINDONG, Christie’s, Asian Art in London, TCL, AKZU, NetMind.AI, and Hirsch & Mann, the exhibition integrates interactive installations, digital textiles, AI-generated visuals, and experimental curation to challenge conventional notions of art and heritage.
The Role in the Exhibition
As a Tsinghua alumna, UKTA’s Marketing and Business Development Director, and co-curator, I played a key role in shaping both the curatorial vision and strategic outreach for the exhibition. My contributions include:
• Co-curating the exhibition, working closely with artists and designers to construct a cohesive narrative on how technology redefines cultural storytelling and artistic practice.
• Exhibiting my PhD research project, ∞: Thousand Threads, Thousand Universes (《∞：千针千界》), which explores the intersection of Miao embroidery, digital projection, and generative algorithms, creating an immersive textile-based experience that reimagines ICH through contemporary digital methodologies.
• Curating the Art Salon: The Symbiosis of Cultural Heritage and Technology alongside Xiaoxin Li from the V&A Museum, bringing together leading voices in heritage preservation, digital curation, and artistic research.
• Participating as a guest speaker, presenting my research alongside artists Ziling Wang, Shang Gao, and Bingqing Liu, engaging in discussions on cultural sustainability, feminist perspectives in curation, and the role of emerging technologies in ICH conservation.
• Engaging with international audiences, fostering dialogues on decolonised heritage curation, participatory exhibition design, and cross-cultural artistic exchange.
This exhibition represents not only a celebration of interdisciplinary artistic innovation but also a critical examination of how technology can transform heritage preservation and audience engagement. My role as both an artist and curator reflects my ongoing research into immersive curation methodologies, digital humanities, and feminist approaches to intangible cultural heritage.
By integrating traditional craftsmanship with contemporary digital strategies, Ubiquitous Technology: The Science of Aesthetics redefines how cultural narratives are constructed, positioning ICH within global artistic and technological discourse.
The Artwork Description
Audio-visual projection installation ∞: Thousand Threads, Thousand Universes 2024 (《∞：千针千界》), by Misha Mi LIN
1078 x 1078 mm
3 mins 13 seconds
∞: Thousand Threads, Thousand Universes is an audio-visual projection installation that forms part of Mi Lin’s doctoral research at the Royal College of Art. By integrating digital print fabric as a physical medium with projected video images and ambient audio, the artwork creates an immersive, contemporary representation of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Miao (苗族) Piling (堆) Embroidery.
The installation externalises a dynamic meditation, reflecting the creator’s serene and sustained "flow" state during the practice of this intricate craft. Visually, the film distils the triangular geometric patterns and kaleidoscopic structures from Miao Piling Embroidery, while the perpetual repetition of the video serves as a metaphor for the transmission of knowledge and the continuity of life.
This artwork seeks to manifest the “intangible” cultural legacies and deep emotional connections passed down through generations—elements often easily overshadowed in academic discourse and on mainstream platforms. At the same time, it honours the creators, predominantly women, who serve as the primary nurturers of this heritage.
Through this immersive experience, viewers are invited to step into the consciousness of these cultural inheritors, encouraging personal interpretations of this ancient yet relatively unfamiliar tradition.
An Example of Media Coverage
Misha Lin Studio — A Designer Snowboarding Brand
Founder & Brand Manager & Design Director
Nov. 2020 to Present
Video of the Season 2024 Collection
Video Music, Laser Lock Engaged, by Slip.stream, Retrieved from: https://slip.stream/tracks/58f68b2d-13e7-43f6-bef6-5b79aaf83c21
Misha Lin Studio is a snowboarding and watersport designer brand I established in 2020. My personal work description includes the following:
• Established the company framework, set financial goals, managed the personnel, supervised the daily operations, managed brand positioning, and constructed visual identity (VI).
• Implemented comprehensive research on the ski industry in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, including market investigation, competitor analysis, and pain point analysis. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, field research, and an analysis of sales were used as research methods.
• Assembled a thorough understanding of special fabric technology and structure, designed and tested garments and accessories based on market research and analysis.
• Collaborated with institutions such as Beijing Sport University, the Tsinghua Ski and Sailing Associations, and the China Aerospace Studies Institute to obtain IP authorization.
• Implemented comprehensive research on the ski industry in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, including market investigation, competitor analysis, and pain point analysis. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, field research, and an analysis of sales were used as research methods.
• Assembled a thorough understanding of special fabric technology and structure, designed and tested garments and accessories based on market research and analysis.
• Collaborated with institutions such as Beijing Sport University, the Tsinghua Ski and Sailing Associations, and the China Aerospace Studies Institute to obtain IP authorization.
Butterfly Effect — A Cultural Exchange Project Aiming to Popularise Miao ICHs
Organizer & Team Leader
Jun. 2017 to May. 2018
A Video Description of the Miao People
Video Filming and Editing Credits Zhiyi Zhao; Video Voiceover Credits Mi Lin
Butterfly Effect is a master's degree Capstone project that aims to popularise the Miao textile practices in New York City through curation with the implementation of AR technology.
The project is a collective effort of Yunzhi Chen, Minyue Xia, Yalu Wang, Zoei Zhao, and me, which was established under my initiative. I am the group leader, textile expert, and chief designer and curator of the team. My personal work description includes the following:
• Aimed to create an immersive environment that provides a cultural experience to introduce Miao traditional textile art to audiences in NYC through engagement, communication, and education.
• Researched theory and literature regarding Miao textile Intangible Cultural Heritages (ICHs), interactive space, art education, alternate reality features and games, and sustainable fashion.
• Conducted field trips in 5+ Hmong villages in Guizhou province to collect fabrics, accessories, clothing objects, and images of 10+ sorts of ICH embroidery and dyeing techniques, visited museums and Guizhou Institute for Ethnic Studies, and interviewed non-genetic cultural inheritors and Riverbend Academy of Hmongology experts.
• Produced feasibility analysis, planned, propagated, and implemented a prototype interactive exhibit at 180 Creative Gallery, and delivered 10+ speeches during the two-week exhibition, which engaged 1500+ visitors from 10+ countries to experience the Miao Culture.
• Developed Augmented Reality-based exploratory entertainment through interactions with a mobile phone application to deliver an immersive and educational experience in the exhibition scene.
• Concluded a plan for implementing the designed project, including stakeholder analysis, target audience analysis, budgeting, and daily and annual timelines.
• Researched theory and literature regarding Miao textile Intangible Cultural Heritages (ICHs), interactive space, art education, alternate reality features and games, and sustainable fashion.
• Conducted field trips in 5+ Hmong villages in Guizhou province to collect fabrics, accessories, clothing objects, and images of 10+ sorts of ICH embroidery and dyeing techniques, visited museums and Guizhou Institute for Ethnic Studies, and interviewed non-genetic cultural inheritors and Riverbend Academy of Hmongology experts.
• Produced feasibility analysis, planned, propagated, and implemented a prototype interactive exhibit at 180 Creative Gallery, and delivered 10+ speeches during the two-week exhibition, which engaged 1500+ visitors from 10+ countries to experience the Miao Culture.
• Developed Augmented Reality-based exploratory entertainment through interactions with a mobile phone application to deliver an immersive and educational experience in the exhibition scene.
• Concluded a plan for implementing the designed project, including stakeholder analysis, target audience analysis, budgeting, and daily and annual timelines.
The Visual Demonstration of AR Interaction with a Batik Exhibit
The Visual Demonstration of the Batik Showroom Display, including a Recreated Scenery, An Interactive Screen with Information, and an Indication for an Interactive Point
Adorkable Tiger — An Exploration to Apply the Traditional Tiger Pattern to Modern Fashion Design
Researcher & Designer
Jan. 2015 to Jun. 2015
Runway Video Clip of Adorkable Tiger in New Ingenious China Graduate Fashion Week 2015
Adorkable Tiger is a graduation project for the undergraduate Fashion Design program. It consists of a thesis, the Application of Chinese Folk Tiger Patterns in Fashion Design, and a series of casual women's clothing designs, Adorkable Tiger. In the project, the traditional patterns were put into a modern design context and eventually developed into a series of design methodologies and thinking through practice-based qualitative research.
As a unique symbolic representation of Chinese folk art, the tiger pattern is adorned by people for its unique and vivid artistic image and auspicious symbolic meaning; therefore, it is widely used in daily life. Nowadays, as people pay more attention to the traditional Chinese folk culture, the Chinese folk tiger pattern has also received the attention of many scholars and designers. Still, only some designers have studied and systematically applied the folk tiger pattern to clothing.
The study focuses on the history of development, symbolic meaning, and modelling characteristics of Chinese folk tiger patterns and their combination with costumes. The paper further discusses the design methodology of combining tiger patterns with fashion through data collection and research. It analyses a specific case of a brand applying Chinese elements based on combining the above theories, cases, and personal practice. Integrating with my practice of the Adorkable Tigerling series, I summarized how the tiger pattern was incorporated into the design, from the external form to the inner spirit. I hope to share it with many fashion designers as an inspiration.
Horners and Award:
• Graduation design and graduation thesis won first place in the Fashion Program at Tsinghua University.
• Excellent Graduation Design at the college level and Excellent Graduation Thesis at the university level.
• The graduation design Adorkable Tiger on display in New Ingenious China Graduate Fashion Week 2015, Milan International Fashion Week 2015, and A Journey of a Thousand Miles — The 6th Exhibition of Outstanding Works by Graduates from Key Art Institutions of Higher Education in China 2015.
• Excellent Graduation Design at the college level and Excellent Graduation Thesis at the university level.
• The graduation design Adorkable Tiger on display in New Ingenious China Graduate Fashion Week 2015, Milan International Fashion Week 2015, and A Journey of a Thousand Miles — The 6th Exhibition of Outstanding Works by Graduates from Key Art Institutions of Higher Education in China 2015.
"Look at My Suite!" in the Milan International Fashion Week 2015
SOFT BODY — A Public Gallery Project of Digital Art
Business Development and Project Planning Officer
Apr. 2020 to Oct. 2020
SOFT BODY Video
The Copyright Belongs to Beijing Poly Art Company Limited
Intending to convey an artistic lifestyle to the general public and bring accidental amusement to mundane life, Beijing Poly Art Company Limited presents SOFT BODY, the latest masterpiece from Korea’s avant-garde digital art group, in the Aranya Gold Coast Community. It transforms the outer wall of Aranya Art Center into an immersive public gallery.
An L-shaped angled giant screen is adopted, composed of two high-definition outdoor giant screens, both of which are LED P4 level, to create an immersive wonder depictable by bared eyes. The screen's height reaches 6 meters, and the length reaches 24 meters (the left screen is 6.5 meters long, and the right screen is 17.5 meters long).
The phenomenal exhibition opened on August 7, 2020, and will continue until October 7, 2020.
SOFT BODY is a digital art project I was responsible for while working for Beijing Poly Art Company Limited in the digital art department. Beijing Poly Art Company Limited affiliates with Poly Culture Group Corporation Limited, one of China's most influential and resourceful art platforms. I was responsible for the holistic project from planning to execution, including delivering feasible proposals, conducting roadshows, and coordinating and communicating with multiple parties to ensure the project's success.
