New York, NY — NYCxDESIGN 2025 featured a standout addition to its immersive design lineup with the debut of Festive VR, a virtual reality experience created by award-winning interactive designer Xi (Amelia) Li. As one of the highlighted exhibitions on NYCxDESIGN’s official calendar, Infinite Weaving adopted a hybrid model combining physical and virtual showcases, bringing together global creators working across disciplines such as AI-driven design, digital media, photography, VR, and painting. Through a multi-sensory, interdisciplinary lens, the exhibition examined the convergence of virtual and real, tradition and innovation, and suggested new possibilities for the future of creative expression. Within this forward-looking context, Amelia Li’s work stood out as a notable highlight, attracting enthusiastic crowds eager to experience her poetic tribute to cultural heritage in VR.
A Sensory Celebration of Chinese Festivals
Festive VR transports visitors into a striking virtual environment inspired by traditional Chinese festivals. Within this vibrant world, lanterns sway gently in the night air, fireworks paint the sky with color, and glowing sky lanterns rise into the digital ether. Guests can interact freely, releasing lanterns, lighting fireworks, or writing wishes to float among the stars—participating in a joyful celebration of unity, tradition, and hope.
An Artist’s Vision: Curiosity, Emotion, and Immersion
“My goal was to create an engaging and immersive environment—one where guests could explore freely through intuitive interaction,” says Amelia Li. “I designed touchpoints wherever the environment invites curiosity, whether it’s fireflies flickering in the grass or lotus lanterns drifting along the river.”
This attention to emotional detail helps craft an experience that feels both enchanting and relatable. Every interaction is designed to feel natural, enhancing users’ sense of presence and personal connection to the world around them.
Technology Meets Tradition
What makes Festive VR notable is its cultural authenticity. Rich with traditional motifs and ambient soundscapes, the experience is not only a visual spectacle—it’s a heartfelt journey through collective memory. The installation includes individual VR headsets and a large shared display that synchronizes multiple users’ experiences, making it visually engaging for onlookers and deeply personal for participants.
The Artist Behind the Vision
Xi (Amelia) Li holds a Master’s degree in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University and has accumulated over five years of experience in interactive design and game development. She has contributed to award-winning projects, including Among Us VR and is known for her ability to blend cutting-edge technology with deeply human storytelling.
With Festive VR, she offers not merely a technological showcase but a tender, joyful homage to her cultural roots, presented through a futuristic lens.
A Vision for the Future of Immersive Art
Festive VR demonstrates the artistic potential of virtual reality while reinforcing NYCxDESIGN’s role as a platform for visionary creators who are exploring new ways to engage with culture, memory, and one another in a digital world by blending innovation with tradition, fostering connection, and redefining how art can inspire across boundaries.
Published by Joseph T.
