Xinyu Li

Zombie-ant fungus, commonly understood as ants hijacked by the Ophiocordyceps unilaterali fungus. They infect the foraging ant by spores that attach and penetrate the exoskeleton, and slowly take over its behavior. As the infection advances, the enthralled ants are forced to leave their nest for a more humid microclimate conducive to fungal growth, and wait for death.

Instead of directly controlling the ant's brain, the fungus controls the mind by interfering with the ant's nervous system and directly controlling the host's muscles with bioactive compounds. This is a cruel and painful infection, like a marathon.

Zombie ants repeatedly appeared in my nightmares, wandering from abandoned cities to humid forests; yet in reality,I regard my current situation as one of the infected ants. Repressed life and emotions have turned me into a dull machine.

This project returns to my simplest and most direct form of expression: illustration. From 01st, Jan, 2022 to 31st, Dec, 2022, the collection consists of 365-day visual diaries featuring a character with the O. unilateralis fruiting body's tentacles and the bizarre world it wanders in, recording the endless nightmares and the nightmarish daily life.