Art Activation: Wish Collection
with Yifu Ding & Zishuo Li

Saturday, September 12, 2026 | 4:00 – 8:00 pm | All Ages
Yonge Street | as part of Saturday Night Fever

Drop in to the Aurora Cultural Centre’s booth at Saturday Night Fever to participate in a collaborative community art project with artists Yifu Ding and Zishuo Li. Participants will write a wish in their preferred language on a red strip of fabric which will be used to create a site-specific installation for Common Threads: Aurora Public Art Festival.  

All materials provided. 

Program funded by:

About the Artists

Yifu Ding – Yifu Ding works across architecture, installation, and digital design. They hold a Master of Architecture from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Design from OCAD University. Their work brings ecological responsibility and human wellbeing together with structural, building-system, and visual considerations. Alongside spatial design, Yifu develops installations, and tools for design analysis. Moving between material and computational methods allows them to approach projects at multiple scales, from technical details to broader environmental systems. They are interested in creating thoughtful, technically grounded spaces that support healthier relationships between people and the environment. 

Zishuo Li (@zis_li) – Zishuo Li is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Media & Design Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Holding an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Media, and Design and a BFA in Drawing & Painting from OCAD University, as well as a BEng in Electrical & Computer Engineering from McMaster University, Zishuo’s art practice is deeply informed by their diverse educational background. Their research interests revolve around natural materials and environmental justice , seeking to use natural materials to bring their ecological consciousness into various art forms, including installations, sonic art, painting and time-based media.  

Born in China, Zishuo’s practice is influenced by Daoism and traditional Chinese philosophy. Their recent works examine the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, investigating how the vitality and agency of matter can open ecological, aesthetical, cultural, and political possibilities for more relational and sustainable ways of living with the world.