The phase diagrams of 3d metal oxides provide rich landscapes to explore the non-equilibrium degrees of freedoms during an insulator-to-metal transition (IMT). In these materials, the dynamics of nano-textured insulating and metallic phases is characterized by an unexplored complexity than enables manipulation of phase separation to control the properties of quantum materials on ultrafast timescales. Here, we combine X-ray photoemission electron microscopy and non-equilibrium optical spectroscopy to link the temporal and spatial dynamics of the IMT in the Mott insulator V₂O₃. We show that metallic droplets, which form at the boundaries of striped insulating domains, act as seeds for the non-equilibrium expansion of the metallic phase triggered by the photo-induced change in the 3d-orbital occupation. We demonstrate that the growth of the metallic phase can be controlled by properly tailoring the light-excitation protocol. Our results unveil the coupled electronic and structural dynamics during an ultrafast IMT and open up the possibility of controlling the ultrafast dynamics of Mott transitions in a way that is inaccessible by thermal means.