Creative Coding Spring 2026
Conferences / Exhibitions / Awards
Exhibitions, publications and presentations of Creative Coding projects in the last few years included SIGGRAPH 2025 (Vancouver), HCI International Student Design Compettiion 2024 (Washington DC), ACM Hypertext 2o25 Conference (Chicago), HCI International Student Design Compettiion 2023 (Copenhagen). Special Exhibitions in the CAVE2™ VR Environment at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL), which pioneered the first CAVE virtual reality system in 1992.
You Can Grow Here / SIGGRAPH 2025
Vancouver, Canada
by Gaeun Lee, Hope Jo, Cindy Nakhammouane, and Khin Yuupar Myat
SIGGRAPH paper publication
You Can Grow Here is an immersive VR experience developed for
the CAVE2™ environment, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Well-Being. In response to the
mental health challenges intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic,
the project explores how interactive storytelling, ambient sound,
and 3D typography can support emotional reflection and teach
anxiety coping strategies.
CAVE2 VR Exhibition: The Hidden Costs of Logistics and the Disappearing Wild/ International Hypertext 2025 Conference
by Daria Tsoupikova, Julie Y. Chu, Alexandria Schmidt, Harini Kumar, Shahira Bhasha, Gaeun Lee, Eunseo Ko, Kenzell Huggins, Darshan Shet and Farah Kamleh, Alexandra Preuss
ACM Digital Library publication
Photogrpahy by Jim Young, COE, UIC Immersive CAVE2 Virtual Reality Exhibition – Hidden Costs of Logistics and the Disappearing Wild – highlights immersive projects that explore the intersections of anthropology, design, theater, creative coding, typography, and hypertext interaction to tackle some of the world’s most complex problems. From disappearing ecosystems to the invisible machinery behind global supply chains, each project invites participants to observe and reflect on the environmental, social, and economic impacts shaping the American Midwest and our planetary well-being.
Eat Me Up / HCI International 2024 Student Design Competition
Copenhagen, Denmark
by Xingyang Yu, Siqi Hu, Qiaolin Chen and Natalia Szlaszynski
HCI International paper publication
We developed an interactive VR experience for the CAVE2™ environment to raise public awareness of ocean plastic pollution by showing its impact on whales and marine ecosystems, as well as the potential of solutions such as the plastic-degrading fungus Aspergillus tubingensis. The goal is to help players better understand both the severity of marine plastic pollution and the effectiveness of sustainable interventions.
Life Underwater/ HCI International 2023 Student Design Competition
Washington DC
by Linh Dao, Lissette Bahena, Tiffany Cossmani
HCI International paper publication
We developed an interactive VR experience for the CAVE2™ environment to raise public awareness of ocean plastic pollution by showing its impact on whales and marine ecosystems, as well as the potential of solutions such as the plastic-degrading fungus Aspergillus tubingensis. The goal is to help players better understand both the severity of marine plastic pollution and the effectiveness of sustainable interventions.
Oasis, A Collaborative Virtual Reality Design Exhibition Exploring the Post-Capitalist Mall / Video Game Art Gallery
Chicago
by Spee, Grace; Thakkar, Bansri; Mallick, Abinash; Cyrus, Jennifer; Bu, Quentin; Erdeniz, Arda
Journal of Visual Design paper publication
Oasis is a collaborative virtual reality project, which examines the themes of destruction, growth, sustainability and mindfulness using the metaphor of a desolated shopping mall. Ten interactive spaces were developed to encourage participants’ engagement within a virtual environment and to alleviate the impact of social isolation during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Project Exhibition VGA Gallery