Where does the image end and reality begin? In Screen Melancholy, artist Li Yi-Fan (Taipei, 1989) brings digital and physical worlds together.
From 22 January to 11 April 2027, the Nederlands Fotomuseum presents Li Yi-Fan. Screen Melancholy. Digital images, virtual figures and 3D-printed sculptures come together in an installation that examines how images are constructed. Li Yi-Fan poses a seemingly simple question: what is still the difference between human and image?
On a large LED screen, a virtual puppet leads you through a digital reconstruction of the exhibition space. Talking organs, digital actors and images within images follow one another. At the same time, this digital world enters the physical space. Large 3D-printed hands, feet, arms and legs, based on Li’s own body, become sculptures on which you can take a seat.
With Screen Melancholy, Li examines how images are made, how screens shape the way we look and what happens when it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between human, image and digital copy.
The installation was shown at the Taiwan Pavilion during the 2026 Venice Biennale. The Nederlands Fotomuseum is the first venue to present the work following its presentation in Venice.
Exhibition: Li Yi-Fan. Screen Melancholy
Artist: Li Yi-Fan
Period: 22 January to 11 April 2027
Location: Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam