Xiaoyu Ding, born in Fujian, China, currently works between London and Shanghai. She is a metalwork artist, illustrator, and new media artist, as well as a live streamer. Her practice encompasses multimedia installation, web production, and instant sculpture. Her work reflects on her para-social interactions during COVID-19, aiming to bridge the gap between virtual and real social relationships. Her research focuses on balancing the virtual and the real, translating her feelings into tangible artistic language and inviting the audience to experience them. These emotions, both positive and negative, are analyzed and understood through her creative process.

Para-social interaction ：para-social interaction (PSI) refers to a kind of psychological relationship experienced by an audience in their mediated encounters with performers in the mass media, particularly on television and on online platforms.

Q1：What is the really differences between social relationship in reality and para-social relationship in virtual world?

My research originated from a 2021 experience, where I hosted a 27-hour live stream for an event. I engaged in voice chats with a Japanese friend, while other viewers participated through text comments. This setup highlighted the closeness felt through voice and the distance felt through text, sparking my interest in the dynamics of online interaction distances, and leading to my first research question.

Q2：How do we get help with para-social relationships and virtual identities?

This issue arose halfway through my research. Initially, I believed the virtual world was merely a small extension of real life. However, after conducting various experiments and projects, I realized it might differ for everyone. To me, virtual and real life are just two different ways of experiencing the world. Indeed, I have found considerable support in the para-social relationships within virtual life. This insight led me to formulate my second research question.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2021). 27 hours live streaming. 27:37:09. Video.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2023). Shelter box. Dimensions variable. Composite material.

1.Experiment practice as research

In addition to my 2021 experiment, I conducted two preliminary experiments which greatly helped develop my research.

Real-Life Social Experiment: I set up a "Please Chat with Me" sign at school for a full day of face-to-face social interaction, excluding para-social interactions. The first few hours were dull, but the subsequent records helped me realize that socializing can alleviate anxiety. During COVID-19, I could go a month without offline social interactions, which misled me to underestimate my need for social interaction. However, I overlooked that para-social interactions are also a form of socializing.

One-Day One-on-One Social Interaction: I interacted with only one person in real life. During this new experiment, I asked the person to sing a song for me, recorded it, and played it back. Thus, the voice shifted from being a part of social interaction to a part of para-social interaction, yet the emotional impact remained unchanged. Perhaps sound is a medium that can bridge the gap between social and para-social interactions.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2023). 24 hours real social interaction. 16 pages, text.

2.Art practice as research

After completing the social experiments, I began exploring different materials and formats. Although my undergraduate background is in metalwork, I now aim to experiment with new forms, carrying forward only certain motifs from my past work. Over the past year, I have experimented with multimedia installations, web pages, instant sculptures, and videos. My research theme revolves around the virtual and the real, so the forms of artistic practice oscillate between these realms. These works allow me to translate my feelings into a more tangible art language and offer the opportunity to engage the audience in these experiences, which encompass both positive and negative aspects. The process of creation and research serves as a method to analyze and understand these feelings, transforming them to some extent into enlightening and cautionary artistic endeavors.

• Shelter box

Shelter Box is a key work in my research, designed to explore sensory limits in real-world social interactions. This led to refining my question: If we only used para-social methods for real-life interactions, would the emotional impact still differ so much?

Using this device showed that para-social interactions mainly engage sight and hearing, lacking other senses. This simplification in expressing and receiving emotions can actually improve communication for people like me with limited facial muscle control.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2023). Shelter box. Wearing the Shelter box to communicate with people.

• Nobody knows you're a dog on the Internet.

I created a series of cards and tickets depicting a virtual character—a dog that live streams its meals. These were placed in wallets and scattered on the streets.Then passers-by would realise that the owner of these items was actually a dog. This work satirizes the human over-reliance on symbols and social identifiers, highlighting a key difference between the virtual and the real.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2023). Nobody knows you're a dog on the Internet. Dimensions variable. PVC. Leather.

• Cyber Pet Center

Before creating this piece, I developed my second research question: How do we get help with para-social relationships and virtual identities? Inspired by my experiences as a VTuber, I designed a website called "Cyber Pet Center," where virtual pets reflect different online identities. This platform was meant to explore self-discovery and the nature of virtual identities. However, it didn't achieve the desired impact, prompting me to consider my next project.

Entrances：

https://cyberpetcenter.framer....

Xiaoyu Ding. (2023). Cyber Pet Center. Dimensions variable. Website.

• Pixel tumblilng tower

I hope to share the positive impact of re-identifying myself in the virtual world through this work, especially with those less familiar with digital spaces. Thus, I've chosen a physical medium for my new creation, inspired by the traditional tumbling tower game. Each block's exposed sides are uncolored, while the hidden parts display vibrant pixel patterns. This symbolizes our concealed desires and dreams, reflecting how we can redefine ourselves in the virtual world. During gameplay, players choose which sides of the blocks to show, mirroring self-exploration and expression in the digital realm.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2024). Pixel tumblilng tower. Dimensions variable. Wood and propylene

• Guiding someone to create a virtual avatar

After creating the Pixel Tumbling Tower, I realized the game’s abstract expression might not fully convey my feelings. This led me to a new experiment inspired by my Shelter Box project. I invited participants to explore creating virtual identities, integrating theories of drama therapy to enhance the experience.

Feedback confirmed the positive impact of redefining oneself in the virtual world, suggesting significant potential for psychological healing in virtual spaces. Building virtual avatars and engaging in social interactions for self-reidentification is one way to gain assistance through para-social relationships.

Xiaoyu Ding. (2024). Guiding someone to create a virtual avatar. Digital media.

This project intersects psychology and sociology, targeting everyone who engages in para-social interactions and navigates identities between the virtual and real worlds.

"ACTING FOR REAL: Drama Therapy Process, Technique, and Performance", a key inspiration and reference for my study, offers a profound theoretical foundation. The book extensively covers drama therapy techniques, particularly how they facilitate individuals' exploration and healing through role-playing. Drawing from this, I've learned to enhance the virtual interaction experience using dramatic elements, creating virtual characters and settings that deepen user engagement and emotional involvement.

Renée Emunah , "ACTING FOR REAL: Drama Therapy Process, Technique, and Performance" (1994).