Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Digital Media
First Advisor
Adela Goldbard
Second Advisor
Gery Vargas
Third Advisor
Leah Beeferman
Abstract
My project explores the material side of digital objects by breaking and rewriting 3D model files. I draw on media geology and digital materiality theories and use glitch to explore how digital forms are built from layers of code, signals, and physical infrastructures. I work with a discarded hard drive and move between its physical parts, its digital model, and the distorted versions that appear when the code is disrupted.
Through 3D modeling, physical disassembly, magnetic imaging, and animation, the project looks at how glitch can act as a method of excavation. It reveals the hidden structures that support digital objects and shows that the digital world is not weightless but deeply connected to the physical world.
Recommended Citation
Li, Ruoxi, "Digital as Material" (2026). Masters Theses. 1560.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1560
Creative Commons License
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