ARCO: The Race for First Contact Exhibition

ARCO: The Race for First Contact is a science fiction worldbuilding project I began in high school and have been developing ever since. Set in the future 2100, the narrative imagines a future in which humanity has expanded throughout our solar system and most importantly, China's probe Kǒngmíng lantern (孔明灯) makes the discovery of intelligent life in a distant solar system that they will call ARCO. The project is fundamentally an exploration of conflict—across species, nations, communities, ideologies, and the internal conflicts we face in ourselves.
The central protagonist, Su, is an alien of mixed heritage from a remote desert region of ARCO. Through her perspective, we witness the conflicts that have and will happen through the main ruling empires as well as humanity’s two powers, China and the United States—which ultimately influences and destabilizes ARCO. Her story provides the backbone of a broader visual investigation into how societies evolve, fracture, and respond under the pressure of rapid change.
The world of ARCO is articulated primarily through visual development and concept art, including environment design, props, vehicles, biological studies, and character work. Each component is designed with an emphasis on scientific plausibility and cultural logic. I draw from research in physics, biology, ecology, psychology, and sociology to ensure that the technologies, landscapes, and social structures of ARCO feel grounded while still embracing the speculative freedom inherent to science fiction.
I used AI—specifically Copilot—as a research tool to synthesize scientific information, explore hypothetical scenarios, and test image generation only in the earliest stages of brainstorming, but never in my artwork. While critical of AI as a substitute for artistic labor, I see its utility for idea mapping and believe emerging technologies should be used responsibly to support, not replace, human creativity.
Ultimately, ARCO: The Race for First Contact is both a narrative and a design investigation, one that asks how civilizations imagine one another, how conflict shapes identity, and how speculative futures allow us to reflect on the complexities of our present as well as how we will allow the future to unfold.