Meet Lilan Yang | Artist + Experimental Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lilan Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lilan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Every decision I’ve ever made has been about embracing risk, pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone, and embarking on journeys into the uncharted.

Before becoming an artist and experimental filmmaker, I studied computer engineering during undergrad but I didn’t quite find my calling there. My journey into the realm of creative expression began with a deep fascination for data visualization – I was very fascinated by how different visual presentations shape stories differently. I delved into the world of geographic data, particularly how film locations carried layers of cultural significance when viewed through the cinematic lens. From data points, I started digging into the things deeper down — What does each pair of latitude and longitude represents? How do audiences perceive and engage with these locales in films? And how may people’s penchant for sharing film locations on social media platforms contribute to a collective memories of places? It wasn’t long before a whole new frontier opened up before me — machine learning — and I ventured into this uncharted territory as well.

My passion for the American West landscapes and the magic of cinema led me down a path I had never envisioned: becoming an experimental filmmaker. Even through when I embark on my journey at RISD for my Master of Fine Arts degree, I couldn’t claim to have received formal training as a filmmaker. Yet, the exhilaration to observe the world through the viewfinder of an camera is always incomparable, as if I have an additional eye to see. Then again, if it wasn’t for the willingness to take risks, to start anew from the ground up, I would never find out about the excitement of doing things I have never experience before.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art practice focuses on the physicality of film as an artistic medium and a carrier of longing. I am captivated by how time becomes an object to be weighted and held onto as a film reel, how sound is visible in forms and measurable in length as optical soundtracks, and how film itself as a material resembles human memories decaying over time. Through mixed media installations, I explore ways of seeing and unseeing, aiming to preserve human memories captured by cameras and engrave these recollections on celluloid, and investigating how information is lost in attempts to remember.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
While my life has been quite nomadic in the past year, it only occurred to me recently that Boston holds a special place in my heart — not only it is where my artistic journey began when I first arrived here in 2020, and it has also undeniably left its mark on me, both in positive and challenging ways. If I were to share the essence of Boston with friends and my dog Ollie, we’d start with a walk at Boston Common, continue along the picturesque Charles River Esplanade, enjoy brunch together, and then explore my favorite bubble tea shops and art galleries in the western part of the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m deeply grateful for the incredible and inclusive experimental filmmaking communities that have warmly welcomed me while showing my work at different parts of the world. And I would like to dedicate my shoutout to film collectives such as MONO NO AWARE in New York, AgX in Boston and Baltic Analog Lab in Riga, Latvia, all of whom have been supported me during my artistic journey.

What strikes me the most is how everyone I’ve meet is eager to learn more about innovative processes and techniques. There exists a culture of open-sharing and wholehearted support for everyone’s artistic vision. And the mentorship, collaboration and camaraderie I have found within these collectives have been nothing short of transformative.

Website: https://lilanyang.studio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilanyang.studio/

Image Credits
Courtesy of the artist.