I composed all these images from the photos of my family trip last time and fictional photos I screenshotted in the game Final Fantasy XIV, a MMORPG (Massive Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game) produced by Square Enix. Within the images, I have been trying to fit the realistic figures of my family members into the fictional scenery within the gameplay, matching them with the game environment, including the color, the light, the shadow, etc.

 

Our family trip took place 3 months ago when the pandemic in Suzhou was still somewhat moderated. The trip was enjoyable and relaxing. At that time, despite the fact that the pandemic was continuing, we were able to hang out within the city, have food together, and let our dogs play around on the grass. In fact, if we recall the situation back in 2019, we were still capable of traveling to other countries without much restriction. At the time, we could breathe the fresh air without wearing masks, not worrying about getting infected or the government’s strict control and regulation. Now that it has turned to a period that people call “post-pandemic,” I, as well as other people, have been getting increasingly familiar with the life surrounded by Covid. Yet, in China, everything has been changing so fast. In late March and early April 2022, when I write this, the city where I live is strictly controlled by the government, and it’s even troublesome to get out from home. Even bringing dogs and families to a nearby space is currently not permittable. What should we do? What should we expect?

 

I have been trying to dedicate myself to the virtual space constructed with video games. For instance, the game that I am playing, Final Fantasy XIV, indeed simulates the sense of metaverse, allowing the players to complete various things as they do in reality. Though it is currently impossible to travel in reality due to the pandemic, I did travel around Eorzea, the fictional world within the game, and tried to find the appropriate time and space, then record the beautiful landscapes and sceneries in the virtual world. By bringing real figures of photos that record realistic memories into the virtually simulated environment, I myself want to explore different questions and possibilities. Could virtual reality also be the space connecting people and storing plentiful memories? Would it have the potential to function as a new lifestyle for people? For me, the reality is irreplaceable. Nevertheless, before a reality where everyone could run and play in nature without any worry, the game is also an essential approach for me to connecting and construct memories.