May 25th, 2024 from 1:00 – 7:00 pm for a special “Picnic in the Library with Museum Squatters” to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. At Picnic in the Library with Museum Squatters, a day-long community arts event hosted by the Chinese American Museum of Chicago, artist Yicong Li unveiled an immersive participatory installation that seamlessly bridged contemporary art and public engagement. At the heart of the presentation were Li’s signature wearable soft sculptures, which transformed a photo booth into a space for playful exploration and embodied transformation.
Far from static objects, Li’s wearable sculptures served as performative tools—inviting visitors to step inside the works and experience how material, texture, and form could reframe their sense of identity. Designed to be accessible across generations, the booth welcomed participants ranging from children to elders (ages 5 to 50), fostering an open, inclusive environment of creative experimentation. The installation drew strong interest from both the local Chinese American community and Chicago’s broader art scene, with artists such as Yuge Zhou and artist-curator Larry Lee actively engaging with the work.
A key moment of the event occurred at 3:00 PM, when performer Shuo Cai activated Bound, one of Li’s most emblematic wearable sculptures, in a live performance. The work explores themes of transformation and identity fluidity; through Cai’s movements, Bound became a dynamic, living structure—shifting with the body, responding to the surrounding space, and dissolving the boundaries between sculpture, performer, and audience. The performance prompted thoughtful conversations about the potential of wearable art to reimagine the body’s relationship to material and viewer.
Li’s practice consistently blurs the line between art and daily life, foregrounding tactility and embodiment as central to participatory experience. Her work functions as a catalyst for social exchange, merging formal innovation with community interaction. This event further underscored her distinct position within contemporary performance and installation art.
Picnic in the Library with Museum Squatters exemplified the Chinese American Museum of Chicago’s mission to foster cultural dialogue through accessible and meaningful programming. Through Li’s interactive installation, the museum offered a platform where art, identity, and community came together in vibrant and resonant ways.
