Zhiyin (Leah) Wang, University of British Columbia
Mixed media installation; 300 x 50 cm.
From the artist:
Growing up in the Internet age, I have witnessed how the digital world both connects and isolates us. During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities existed almost entirely online. Social interaction became fragmented, limited to screens, filtered through algorithms, and dependent on virtual presence rather than physical connection.
This work reflects the compartmentalized nature of identity in the digital era, intensified by the pandemic. The metallic boxes represent curated online selves, each containing a constructed world of information, memories, and emotions. The disjointed limbs and scattered brains symbolize the detachment from physical reality, as our bodies remained isolated while our minds lived through screens.
COVID-19 amplified the paradox of the Internet: a tool meant for connection that often deepens disconnection. It became both a lifeline and a trap, a space of shared experience yet overwhelming loneliness. This piece questions what it means to belong in an era where communities exist, but our interactions are mediated by unseen digital forces shaping how we connect, communicate, and understand one another.