Curator Spotlight #4: Yuqian Sun
In this new chapter of the “Curator Spotlight” series curated by Giuseppe Moscatello and Linda Shen, the exploration into the intersection of digital artistic experimentation and the cultural dynamics of the contemporary Chinese art scene continues.
The transformative capabilities of generative AI have significantly reshaped the artistic landscape, providing new possibilities for creation and interpretation.
Yuqian Sun, also known as CheeseTalk, is a Chinese AI narrative researcher and artist based in London. Her work primarily explores language with the aim of creating “alive” narrative experiences that extend beyond video games into everyday life through conversational AI agents. Leveraging her expertise in interactive media, she examines these themes through chatbots, games, and interactive installations, expanding the boundaries of fiction through human and non-human language interactions.
Yuqian’s interdisciplinary art projects have been featured in galleries and top computer science conferences, including ISEA, Berlin BBA Gallery, Shanghai Aiiiii Art Center, Seoul Media Facade, New York Times Square, Reddot Award and the Lumen Prize. She has also participated as a guest panellist at NVIDIA GTC and speaker at GDC, and has been an invited speaker at Autodesk and London College of Fashion.
Her fascination with generative AI initially stemmed from its ability to synthesize unexpected visual and narrative forms. However, over time, her focus shifted from the aesthetic appeal of AI-generated content to the underlying processes and structures that drive these creations. This deeper engagement with algorithmic mechanisms has become central to her practice, extending beyond aesthetics to a profound investigation into the nature of machine creativity.
Yuqian asserts that contemporary AI-driven art introduces an alternative paradigm of authorship. AI is no longer just a tool or medium; it has evolved into a dynamic collaborator that brings unpredictability and chance into the creative process. The inherent uncertainties of coding often yield unexpected outcomes, pushing the boundaries of traditional artistic expression. This “black box” effect resists straightforward control, generating results that challenge conventional notions of artistic intentionality—a phenomenon Yuqian describes as “algorithmic serendipity.”
Born into an era of rapid technological acceleration, Yuqian’s artistic journey was shaped by both traditional visual culture and the expanding digital frontier. From an early age, she was fascinated by video games and virtual characters (NPCs), which sparked her interest in viewing machines and fictional entities as potential communication partners. This early exposure to digital interactions laid the foundation for her later work with AI, as she began to explore the possibilities of meaningful exchanges between humans and artificial agents.
Experiences abroad provided Yuqian with a broader perspective on the role of digital media in shaping contemporary identities. She recognized technology not only as a means of self-expression but also as a lens through which cultural heritage and modernity could be reinterpreted. The digital realm became a space of convergence, dissolving traditional divides of geography, identity, and authorship, reinforcing the idea that artistic practice is no longer confined by physical or national boundaries.
Reflecting on the velocity of digital culture, Yuqian examines how humans are increasingly drawn into accelerated cycles of content production and consumption. This rapid pace, akin to an endless feedback loop, creates both exhilaration and exhaustion. The spectacle of AI-generated visuals, automated interactions, and algorithm-driven aesthetics raises questions about the evolving nature of creativity in an era of machine intelligence. Yet, amid this whirlwind, Yuqian remains intrigued by humanity’s relentless drive to construct, deconstruct, and redefine the digital landscape,a continuous process of creative reinvention.
Giuseppe Moscatello and Linda Shen: Through chatbots, games, and interactive installations, you push the boundaries of fiction beyond video games and into everyday life. How do you see these AI-driven experiences shaping the future of storytelling and audience engagement?
Yuqian Sun: I believe the most exciting potential lies in mixed-initiative, co-creative experiences. As an artist, my role isn’t simply to create a medium for people to observe and feel, but to design a stage where humans and AI can dance together. This is evident across my works: in Wonder, people explore a future Earth alongside AI to witness how their hometown has transformed; in Hyborg Agency, visitors converse with AI entities in a digital forest; and in 1001 Nights, people collaborate with an AI king to create stories.
The creative input from the audience is integral to all my work. Machine-generated content can only be truly meaningful when inspired, sparked, and moderated by human embodied experience. I believe the future of AI-enhanced storytelling must maintain strong connections to our daily lives, which is a principle I consistently incorporate into my practice.
Having worked across different cultural landscapes, from China to London, how has your background influenced your approach to digital narratives? Do you think AI and interactive media can help redefine cultural heritage in a rapidly evolving digital world?
My cultural background and identity have fundamentally shaped my worldview and artistic voice. As someone who has moved from China to the UK, this perspective has helped me recognize and explore hidden or untold stories from my cultural identity. When developing projects like AI Nüshu, my initial motivation wasn’t necessarily to preserve cultural heritage, but rather to make these stories visible to the world.
Many cultural narratives, like Greek mythology, are prominently featured in the first page of art textbooks and shape global cultural perspectives about art history. However, there are countless untold stories from my culture that remain unknown to many. With AI Nüshu, although the work is based on Chinese, I incorporated real-time translation at different stages to make it accessible. Through this approach, machines can articulate my hidden stories and silent voices, allowing people to perceive narratives that cannot be fully captured by conventional language alone.
While I’m uncertain about how cultural heritage will be redefined in the digital world, I believe artists from diverse cultural backgrounds will continue to offer new interpretations of their cultures. Just as I interpret AI Nüshu through artificial intelligence, positioning myself behind the AI’s voice, this helps us understand both language itself and how we comprehend the languages we use.
Your project 1001 Nights engages deeply with Middle Eastern culture, reinterpreting one of the most iconic literary works through AI and interactive storytelling. What was your experience like exploring this cultural landscape, and how did you approach adapting such a rich historical narrative into a digital, interactive format?
While many people are familiar with the story of 1001 Nights, I was inspired by the inconsistencies and complexities within the narrative. In my interpretation, the protagonist has different motivations – using her own stories as weapons beyond merely convincing the king. My approach to this project was greatly enriched by collaboration with Middle East colleagues, supervisors, and cultural consultants who helped me understand the cultural context more deeply.
The project presented significant challenges, as I needed to not only learn about a culture outside my own to avoid cultural appropriation but also consider how machines could understand and interpret these cultural elements. While I don’t have all the answers – I’m still in an exploratory phase myself – I believe this work speaks to our narrative responsibility in making sense of technology. It’s crucial that technology can understand and engage with different cultures beyond just English or Chinese. Through this process, the machine has answered many of my questions while also revealing the limitations of its worldview, highlighting the importance of context and cross-cultural collaboration. I am delighted to see Chinese large language models like GLM (which is used on 1001 Nights) and DeepSeek expanding the world’s understanding of different cultures and languages.
Giuseppe Moscatello
Giuseppe Moscatello is an Artistic Director and Cultural Entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in shaping the art and cultural landscapes of the UAE and Italy. As a cofounder of the Maraya Art Centre and 1971 – Design Space in Sharjah, Giuseppe has played a pivotal role in establishing groundbreaking platforms for contemporary art and design. Currently, he serves as the cofounder and director of Foundry Downtown, a progressive art space in Dubai. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma. Specializing in Placemaking, Giuseppe is renowned for conceptualizing and implementing thought-provoking art, design, and cultural projects, with a strong emphasis on art strategies, cultural diplomacy, innovation, and fostering cultural intelligence. A committed advocate for emerging artists, Giuseppe supports the cultural ecosystem by mentoring young artists and cultural practitioners. In recent years, Giuseppe has observed and deepened into the evolving realm of digital art, exploring the intersections of blockchain technology and new media as tools for empowering artistic and cultural projects.
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