Student Spotlight

As part of the MetaMetaverse project, we are launching a Student Spotlight series to showcase undergraduate and graduate student projects that explore AR, VR, and virtual worlds as cultural tools and mediums for self-discovery. The featured projects will be added to the page over time.

The first artistic projects in the Student Spotlight feature Ruoting Chen and Dian Xu, undergraduate Chinese international students at Queen’s University. Both are fourth-year students in the Media Performance Production course taught by Sojung Bahng. Their works explore personal narratives and cultural identity through interactive and immersive media.

This video is an excerpt from the VR playthrough of LIFT by Ruoting Chen.

The virtual reality (VR) project explores the theme of social anxiety disorder. The story unfolds inside an elevator with eight floors, each representing different emotional states and experiences related to social anxiety, expressed in poetic and surreal ways. The experience is based on the artist’s personal interpretation of their own journey as an international student from China, navigating the challenges of social interaction.

“When I came to Canada and became an international student, it was really hard. It’s always like that when you move to a new country, but I can deal with it—it just takes time. So this was actually about that social anxiety disorder that happens when you're an outsider or foreigner here. It’s based on my story.”

“In VR, you can be inside the world you created. It used to be just imagination, but now it’s kind of reality—you’re surrounded. That’s interesting to me, like somehow it feels like my childhood dream. For me, watching and experiencing are two different things. VR gives you the opportunity to experience something more directly. We can’t smell it or feel it physically yet, but it’s still kind of a physical experience.”

— Ruoting Chen

The video is a demo of an AR project titled A Journey Beyond Dimensions by Dian Xu.

This augmented reality (AR) project explores Dian's cultural identity, feelings of longing, and immigrant experience as a Chinese student living in Canada. In the project, Dian juxtaposes original photos she took in China with the Canadian landscape. When viewers scan maple trees in Canada using Snapchat, photos from China appear on their mobile screen, forming a visual collage. This interaction blends her physical presence in Canada with her psychological and cultural belonging to China.

She also uses a mirror as an AR marker to trigger videos from China and Canada—such as food scenes and street views. The mirror metaphorically functions as a tool of self-reflection, linking her current life in Canada to deeper parts of her identity and memory.

“Living alone abroad, I often feel a deep emotional gap between my life in Canada and my life in my hometown. Whether it's the streets, the food, the culture, or interactions with my family—these have all become strong, vivid memories that I want to hold onto but can't access here. This project was born out of that sense of loss—a loss of belonging in Canada. It was also a way for me to preserve my memories and make sense of my shifting identity."

"I think AR gives me a new way to engage with viewers through interaction. Unlike traditional media where the viewer just watches, AR allows people to actively experience the content. I also feel there is something poetic about adding emotional meaning to physical objects. In my project, I used mirrors and maple trees—objects from the real world—but behind them are deeper emotions and connections with the audience. I believe AR helps build a bridge between me and the viewers, making my unseen struggles visible.”

— Dian Xu

Ruoting and Dian's artworks will be installed at the Art & Media Lab, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston, Canada, as part of the exhibition METAVERSE IS EMPTY, curated by Sojung Bahng and Gabriel Menotti.