The Division of Arts and Machine Creativity was honored to welcome renowed artist Lau Wai as a guest lecturer for the AMCC 5410 Art Theory: Past and Future course. Known for her innovative approach to art and technology, Lau Wai brought a wealth of experience and insight to our students, bridging theoretical discourse with contemporary artistic practice. Her presence enriched the course’s exploration of how art evolves in dialogue with cultural and technological shifts.
Awarded the Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction in the New Animation Art category in 2025, Lau Wai is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans moving images, 3D animation, digital interactive media, photography, and installation. Born in Hong Kong and now working between New York and her hometown, Lau Wai has built an international reputation for exploring how identity is shaped through the interplay of history, fiction, and technology. Her work draws deeply from personal and historical archives, cinematic imagery, and popular culture, weaving these elements into thought-provoking narratives that challenge conventional notions of belonging and representation.
During her guest lecture, Lau Wai offered a fascinating glimpse into her creative process and conceptual framework. She shared with AMC students her artistic practices, which utilize personal and historical archives, cinematic imagery, and popular culture to explore how history, fiction, personal memory, and virtuality intersect in the formation of identity. Her insights illuminated the fluid boundaries between digital and physical realities, encouraging students to think critically about the ways technology mediates identity and perception. Through examples of her recent projects, she demonstrated how art can serve as a lens to examine cultural shifts and technological transformations.
The session was not only an exploration of artistic practice but also a dialogue on the future of creativity in an increasingly virtual world. Lau Wai’s ability to connect complex ideas with tangible visual experiences left a lasting impression on the audience. Her lecture underscored the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and inspired students to embrace experimentation as a means of engaging with pressing questions about identity, technology, and society.