2019 - 2023 Design School

Design as Social Dreaming

“We exist in complex systems, and design reinforces social norms of capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, colonialism, and racism¹. Anna Tsing's notion of 'feral' explores the contaminated and entangled relationships between humans and more- than-human entities that transcend these systems². Feral De-sign praxis is interested in weeds’ way of surviving and thriving in the built environment; I hope as designers we can cultivate the power of the ‘marginal’ to reimagine design narratives, processes, and outcomes. And reach a broder understanding of our relationship with the world - of humans and more than humans. ”

Liwen Lian, 2023

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Endless Derive, Multimedia Exhibition Concept

Design as Criticism and Activism

(DIS)ABLEING, Installation View, transforming an public toilet in RMIT University to raise awareness for disabled folks’ experience in public spaces

Sharing Histories of Disability, Art and Activism in Disabled Toilet
Sharing Histories of Disability, Art and Activism in Disabled Toilet
Writing Workshop, Experience with Disability IRL
Writing Workshop, Experience with Disability IRL
Writing Workshop, Experience with Disability IRL

Public Art InstallationConsumerism as beauty tax for women(fem-identifying people)

The Container of Containers, Booklet 2019

Conceptual art focuses on form and materials, placing less emphasis on aesthetics. The artwork itself is an object of thought—a manifestation of an idea. We can view objects, structures, and materials as "spatial containers" of various sorts, regardless of their value, scale, or appearance. Why do these containers take a particular form, color, or material?

This book aims to collect such “spatial containers” and enclose them within the book format, creating a space that itself holds ideas from my mind.

Chess Set Designed and Made by Liwen Lian, 2019
Performance by Xie Bin and Jiaxi Wang
Cinematography by Chaoyang Liu

Design Studio Queening led by Luca Lana, the studio description by Luca:

“Queening’ the rather transsexual act when the pawn metamorphosis into the most powerful piece on the Queen! 1944 MOMA exhibition imagery of chess invited renowned artists such as Isamu Noguchi, Man Ray and Max Ernst to contribute a custom chess set. What was largely consistent with the 38 contributors was that they were mostly male and as world war two raged most had not reconciled the chess’ violent, oppositional and sexist nature. During the renaissance, Chess was not a male-exclusive sport. it was enjoyed by men and women who could play together unchaperoned and often suggested as a postnatal pass time.

The birth of the Chess queen’ Marilyn Yalom discusses early chess as a game of transgression and seduction, ironically though the reinvention and return of the powerful queen piece (reflecting shifting attitudes in gender politics at the time)also contributed to the game becoming a faster passed male-dominated sport. Regina L. O‘Shea in Queening: Chess and Women in Medieval and Renaissance France argues the symbolism of chess was an attempt accurately portray social hierarchies of the time yet since there have been little changes made in the way the game has been played for 300 years.

Reflecting on the stagnate and now highly sexist sport where only 4% of grandmasters are women, This research looks at the very nature of how the game is played.

As creators, artists and spatial practitioners we reflect on the contemporary discussions surrounding gender and design, our usage of materiality, form and function are laden with politics even if we are mostly unaware...”

My interpretation of Queening Chess seeks to deminish all the politics this game has inherited. Every chess piece is a human, and humans are vunerable. At the end of the day, we are all the same. Why insisting on winning?

My Future My Voice is an interactive exhibition showcases the history of the diverse political voices in Trades Hall. The exhibition creates a platform for people to share their ideas and thoughts.

The Stonewall riots marked a new beginning for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

^{"Our identities, how we recognize
ourselves and are recognized by others, is
a complex construction, an articulation of
historical demands on an already mapped
body. The most deeply experienced
and personal sense of individuality and
interiority is always already social"

Fredrick L. Greene}

Time Out: Cultural Infrustructure
Community Project, Urban Design 2023

Time/Out! project adapts an existing basketball court in Carlton, Melbourne and transform it into a temporary cultural infrastructure for retail, education and community building. To encourage the discussion of a equitable basketball culture, displaing imagery archive of women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ folks in the history of Basketball. I developed a durable display system that can be used for both seating, display and storage. After the product Launch event, the space will focus on facilitate education and workshops. Invite non-binary players with mixed heritage to educate the public about the problems with the sport scene. The pavilion provides a space for staff members, guests, public to rest and social.