Riven (Taoyu) Chen is an interdisciplinary artist based in Montreal whose work navigates the boundaries between order and chaos, digital simulation, and speculative world-building. Grounded in procedural generation and immersive game environments, Chen explores the tension between structured systems and emergent unpredictability, transforming philosophical questions into interactive and visual experiences.
Using game engines as a primary medium, they construct chaotic virtual worlds that challenge conventional perception, questioning the nature of existence, transformation, and digital spirituality. Their practice is centered on contradiction and repetition, subtly disrupting patterns to reveal hidden complexities and provoking “anti-iteration” in thinking. By amplifying distinctions within seemingly repetitive systems, Chen’s work invites audiences to reconsider the constraints of reality itself.
Riven holds an MFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University. They will partcitant Korea APE Camp 2025. Their work has been exhibited in interactive media festivals, digital art spaces, and research-driven residencies, engaging with themes of bio-inspired intelligence, alternative realities, and the evolving relationship between technology and consciousness.