Tianran (Mike) Shao

Fading Grounds comes from my deep and complex feelings toward London. I have lived in this city for five years, and during this time it has made me feel happy, lonely, and warm at the same time. The warmth comes from small, quiet moments—like walking home after class along a familiar street. In those moments, I feel I belong here. Yet I am always reminded that I can never truly be part of it. The high cost of living, the cold voice of the underground announcements, and the mechanical rhythm of daily life all keep a distance between me and the city. This conflict became the starting point of my work. Using technologies including AI-generated images, 3D modelling, and virtual photography, I created a black-and-white moving image of an imagined London. The scenes are dark, with strong contrasts between light and shadow, creating a immersive atmosphere. Within this space appear dark silhouettes of people—figures that are me, and anyone who has ever struggled to find belonging in a modern capitalist city. Inspired by psychogeography, Fading Grounds explores how emotions and memories shape our perception of urban space. The work tries to experience London not through maps or systems, but through feeling and movement—through the invisible connection between the city and the human heart.