From Tradition to Innovation: Ziggy Zhenglong Yang’s Art Explores the Boundaries of Culture and Technology

In a space filled with rhythmic wooden strikes and the soft mechanical hum of rotating sculptures, Ziggy Zhenglong Yang’s installations Nirvana and Emotion Protocol weave a story of tradition transformed. These works are more than just kinetic or sound installations—they are philosophical meditations on how ancient practices and contemporary innovation can coexist. By merging cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology, Ziggy invites audiences into an immersive experience that bridges the past and the future, the mechanical and the human.

Ziggy was born in Xi’an, China, a city rich in history and spiritual heritage. This environment instilled in him an early appreciation for art as a medium to preserve and reinterpret cultural memory. With a foundation in Mechanical Engineering, Ziggy developed a deep understanding of engineering principles, which would later become integral to his artistic practice. Over the years, he has cultivated a multidisciplinary approach that merges technical precision with conceptual depth, seamlessly bridging fields such as interior design, interactive media, and kinetic art.

Having honed his skills at world-renowned institutions like Pratt Institute and New York University, Ziggy leveraged his expertise in engineering and digital fabrication to push the boundaries of new media art. Rather than adhering to traditional artistic paths, he has redefined the role of an artist as both a creator and a mediator, capable of merging advanced technologies with profound cultural narratives. His installations are celebrated for their ability to provoke thought and engage audiences, offering innovative perspectives on the intersection of tradition and technology.

In Nirvana, Ziggy reimagines the Buddhist wooden fish, a percussion instrument used in rituals to maintain rhythm and focus during meditation in Mahayana Buddhism. The installation features multiple wooden fish, arranged in a precise matrix across five angled wall panels. Each instrument is activated by motor-driven mallets, synchronized through custom-designed circuit boards control system. It creates a meditative environment, where rhythmic strikes converge into a resonant symphony.

But Nirvana is not just about sound—it’s about creating a space for contemplation. Traditionally, the wooden fish is a solitary tool, guiding individual practice. Ziggy transforms it into a communal experience, where the synchronized rhythm envelops the audience, urging them to reflect on mindfulness in a world dominated by rapid technological change. “The wooden fish embodies a sense of constancy,” Ziggy explains. “By amplifying its presence with technology, I wanted to create a dialogue between the ancient and the modern, between spiritual stillness and the pace of contemporary life.”

In Emotion Protocol, Ziggy turns his attention to the human condition, exploring the dynamics of emotion in structured societies. The installation consists of 16 rotating four-face Buddha, each with expressive faces on each direction (joy, anger, sadness and happiness, in Chinese “喜怒哀乐”). Mounted on stepper motors and programmed to execute intricate movements, the heads rotate to represent the shifting states of human emotion. The work draws from traditional representations of emotional archetypes but places them in a mechanized, modern context.

For Ziggy, Emotion Protocol is a reflection of his up-bringing environment, also is a response to the tension between authenticity and conformity. “Emotions are deeply personal, yet they are constantly shaped by cultural and societal norms,” he reflects. Growing up in a society where emotions were often viewed as distractions rather than necessities, Ziggy found inspiration in both his personal experiences and philosophical reflections. By mechanizing these expressions, the work questions whether emotions can remain authentic in an increasingly regulated and automated world. The rotating sculptures create a paradoxical sense of both fluidity and rigidity, mirroring the conflict between individual emotional freedom and social expectations.

What unites these works is Ziggy’s ability to take deeply rooted cultural symbols and infuse them with new relevance. His practice is grounded in a profound respect for tradition, yet it is unmistakably forward-looking. By using technologies, physical computing and digital fabrication, Ziggy breathes new life into age-old ideas. His work is a bridge between the past and the present, offering audiences a chance to engage with cultural heritage in ways that feel both timeless and contemporary.

Ziggy’s contributions to new media art have not gone unnoticed. His installations have been featured in leading international exhibitions and widely praised for their originality and depth. What sets him apart is his ability to create work that is as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally resonant. His art doesn’t’t merely display technology; it uses technology to ask essential questions about humanity, identity, and the role of culture in a rapidly changing world.

Nirvana and Emotion Protocol are not just art pieces—they are spaces for reflection, tools for thought. They invite viewers to consider what it means to be human in an era of machines, what it means to honor tradition in an age of innovation. For Ziggy, these works are part of a larger project: redefining how we engage with cultural heritage, not as something static but as something alive, evolving alongside us.

Through his work, Ziggy demonstrates that art can do more than entertain—it can illuminate, provoke, and connect. Ziggy’s work is a testament to the idea that tradition and innovation are not opposing forces but complementary ones. By navigating the delicate balance between the two, he challenges audiences to rethink their relationships with culture, technology, and themselves.