Community cultural construction significantly enriches the spiritual lives of residents and plays an irreplaceable role in promoting mutual understanding and unity among community members. The Ganzhutan Hydropower Station in Zuotan Village is a significant memory for the residents there. Due to its avant-garde and interactive nature, the interactive art installation has attracted both residents and tourists, serving as a vital medium for them to engage with local history and culture. Having been abandoned for many years, the Ganzhutan Hydropower Station once made a remarkable contribution to the Foshan Shunde area and remains a historical memory cherished by the older generation. However, as time passes, this historical and cultural knowledge has faded, with limited awareness among the younger generation and even less among tourists. Thus, this study aims to strengthen community historical and cultural construction through interactive art installations, which plays a critical role in promoting the historical and cultural significance of the Ganzhutan Hydropower Station and enhancing residents’ cultural identity. This research utilized observational methods to identify the main activity nodes of residents and tourists, and interview methods to gauge their interest in local history and culture. The historical culture of the Ganzhutan Hydropower Station in Zuotan Village was selected as the subject for designing the interactive art installation. This installation uses light and sound to allow residents and tourists (n = 42) to simulate the electricity generation process of the hydropower station, enabling local residents to revisit memories of the hydropower station and educating tourists about its historical and cultural background. The study demonstrates that the introduction of interactive art installations significantly propels community cultural construction. This innovative artistic form not only deepens the residents’ understanding and experience of the local hydropower station's historical culture but also stimulates their sense of community identity and pride. Moreover, these installations enrich tourists’ visiting experiences, promoting the historical culture of the Ganzhutan Hydropower Station and the spiritual culture of Zuotan Village. These findings hold significant implications for the role of artistic interventions in cultural construction. In the discussion, we explore the positive impacts of interactive art installations on community historical and cultural construction, offering guidance for further exploration of artistic interventions in community cultural development.