GRIDIFICATION takes the grid as its central metaphor, symbolizing order, repetition, mechanization, and the shaping force of socialization. Having recently entered the workplace, the artist became acutely aware of how everyday life is segmented into grid-like schedules and spatial grids—an order that provides stability yet risks erasing individuality.
Lee digitally scanned elements of her daily environment—her room, her workstation, her commuting route—and reassembled them into a virtual grid space. This process itself constitutes a digital gridification: translating the messy, unpredictable texture of daily life into measurable, computable grid units. Within this constructed grid, shifting light conditions such as “sunny day,” “thunderstorm,” or “sleepless night” are simulated and sequenced, compressing both time and space into controllable grids. The resulting video resembles a tunnel of transforming grids, evoking the sensation of time travel.
The work foregrounds a paradox: within the gridified order of contemporary life, do individuals lose their freedom and difference, or do they gain a form of sanctuary—an orderly grid that offers refuge amid chaos? This unresolved tension lies at the core of Lee’s artistic inquiry.
Lee digitally scanned elements of her daily environment—her room, her workstation, her commuting route—and reassembled them into a virtual grid space. This process itself constitutes a digital gridification: translating the messy, unpredictable texture of daily life into measurable, computable grid units. Within this constructed grid, shifting light conditions such as “sunny day,” “thunderstorm,” or “sleepless night” are simulated and sequenced, compressing both time and space into controllable grids. The resulting video resembles a tunnel of transforming grids, evoking the sensation of time travel.
The work foregrounds a paradox: within the gridified order of contemporary life, do individuals lose their freedom and difference, or do they gain a form of sanctuary—an orderly grid that offers refuge amid chaos? This unresolved tension lies at the core of Lee’s artistic inquiry.
Short Bio
You Lee is an artist and curator whose practice bridges digital art, immersive media, and spatial experimentation. With a BA in Media Arts and Design (Hong Kong Baptist University) and an MSc in Serious Games and Virtual Reality (Glasgow School of Art), Lee integrates artistic storytelling with interactive technologies. Her recent projects employ 3D design, illustration, and VR frameworks to explore themes of social structure, cultural identity, and human perception. She has exhibited internationally, including at the Edinburgh Macmillan Art Show (UK), Cista Arts (Online), and Tinglan Art Gallery (China).
Currently, Lee serves as an Assistant Instructor at Beijing Normal University–Hong Kong Baptist University, where she assists teaching courses in game design, focusing on digital heritage, VR-based serious games, and interactive media practices. Through both her teaching and artistic work, she transforms daily environments into grid-like or game-inspired installations that invite audiences to reflect on order, freedom, and the mediated experience of reality.
Currently, Lee serves as an Assistant Instructor at Beijing Normal University–Hong Kong Baptist University, where she assists teaching courses in game design, focusing on digital heritage, VR-based serious games, and interactive media practices. Through both her teaching and artistic work, she transforms daily environments into grid-like or game-inspired installations that invite audiences to reflect on order, freedom, and the mediated experience of reality.
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/ulee_arthere