Wenjun Chen - Portfolio

Aliens of Me is a self-exploration based on my personal data with internet-based technologies, utilizing the web, video, virtual reality, and installation. I am using keywords from my memories shared online and figures of my health data captured by my smartwatch to reconstruct myself through virtual avatars, a story of my growth, and new bodies in which to hold these avatars and stories. This also reflects my identity as a newcomer from China, migrating to an open new world that blends analog and digital.

We are generating more and more digital data, and virtual life is becoming increasingly dominant. Personal identities are becoming interchangeable and indistinguishable between the virtual and real worlds. Through this work, I explore the inter-transformative relationship between the real and the virtual, the tangible and the intangible, the material and the immaterial, and the thing and the non-thing.

Meanwhile, technology is also extending its tendrils into the most personal spheres of humans, commoditizing personal data as a lucrative venture. I aim to engage in the claiming of sovereignty over our personal data, creating a space where personal data transcends commercial value and morphs into a playground for self-reflection, artistic expression, creativity, and exploration.

This work was initiated on GitHub and developed into a narrative video, virtual reality, WebXR, and installation.

Aliens of Me, Website, 2022-2024

The project Aliens of Me started as a website on GitHub. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. Later, it developed into a narrative video and VR experience. This website consists of JavaScript (p5.js, three.js, tone.js), AI generation, and 3D production.

Website: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/

Aliens of Me, Web-based (Data-based) Animation, 2022-2024

A web-based (data-based) animation is shown on the project website and in the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It consists of JavaScript (p5.js, three.js, tone.js) and 3D production.

The original one is an endless web-based animation based on the input data of the keywords from my memory and the numbers from my health data: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/

Aliens of Me, Web-based Animation, 2022-2024

A web-based animation is shown on the project website and in the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It consists of JavaScript (p5.js) and AI generation.

The original animation: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/dream_1.html

Aliens of Me, Web-based Animation, 2022-2024

A web-based animation is shown on the project website and in the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It consists of JavaScript (p5.js, three.js), AI generation, and 3D production.

The original animation: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/dream_2.html

Aliens of Me, Web-based Animation, 2022-2024

A web-based animation is shown on the project website and in the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It consists of JavaScript (three.js), AI generation, and 3D production.

The original animation: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/dream_2.html

Aliens of Me, Video, 2022-2024

A narrative video about the project Aliens of Me. It is developed from the original project on the GitHub website. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data.

Aliens of Me, Three-channel Animation, 2023-2024

A three-channel animation minted as an NFT about the growth of the avatars in the project with the shape generated from my health data.

Aliens of Me, Webpage, 2022-2023

A webpage shows the conversation between AI (OPT and GPT) and me in our native languages, corresponding with AI-generated images with the contents.

Webpage: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/response.html

Aliens of Me, Web-based (Data-based) Animation, 2022-2024

A web-based data visualization animation from my health data. It consists of JavaScript (three.js, tone.js) and 3D production. Audience can move around this this 3D data visualization space.

The original animation: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/data.html

Aliens of Me, Web-based (Data-based) Animation, 2023-2024

A web-based (data-based) interactive shapes and sounds generator from my health data. It consists of JavaScript (three.js, tone.js) and 3D production. Audience can move around this this 3D space.

The original animation: https://wenjunii.github.io/Lifeography/shape.html

Aliens of Me, WebXR, 2023-2024

A WebXR experience of the project Aliens of Me. It is developed from the original project on the GitHub website and the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It is built on Mozilla Spoke.

WebXR: https://verse.loop.onland.io/PQBMpba/distant-different-dominion

Aliens of Me, VR, 2022-2024

A VR experience of the project Aliens of Me. It is developed from the original project on the GitHub website and the narrative video. It is about a virtual avatar constructing his identity from my personal data. It is built on Unreal Engine.

Aliens of Me, Installation, 2023-2024

A site-specific installation consists of the datasheets of my health data, a projection of the data visualization, and a virtual avatar. A self-exploration within physical and virtual spaces, as the data is constructing a live animation, a dynamic avatar, and an expanding physical body.

Aliens of Me, Installation, 2024-2025

An installation consists of data sheets of my body data captured by the smartphone, QR codes with AR animations, VR experience, and an interactive animation of an avatar. It is about an avatar reconstructing his identity based on my personal data. This installation is an interplay between real and virtual with an immersive and interactive environment.

IO (I/O) Playground, Interactive Installation, Ongoing

Interactive sculpture/installation consisting of data sheets of my health data, web-based animation of data visualization (projection mapping on the data sheets), audio of generated sound with the health data, 3D printings of generated shapes with the health data, sensors and actuators with Arduino. I intend to interact my data with the audience’s data from sensors.