Daxing Jizi Design inserts OctaPlay, a public art installation, into a site defined by monumental industrial remains in Beijing, reframing the heavy material legacy of the area through movement, color, and atmospheric change. The lightweight, kinetic structure is commissioned for Yong Ding He Ji, a cultural and lifestyle destination unfolding along the Yongding River at the foot of Shijingshan. Set within Shougang Park’s vast former steelworks, the installation takes its name from its eight-sided geometry. Its octagonal frame and folded surfaces recall paper origami, a contrast to the rigidity of the industrial environment.

The designers describe the project as a topological translation of Shougang Park’s iconic smokestacks. Still, instead of vertical mass, OctaPlay disperses volume into semi-transparent elements that rotate and overlap. Suspended colored discs move gently with the wind, their shifting alignments producing an ever-changing composition of light and shadow.

all images by Zhu Yumeng, unless stated otherwise

wind-driven installation reframes the industrial landscape

In their early design ideas, the Chinese team at Daxing Jizi Design explored weaving overlapping metal sheets. As the project developed, this approach evolved into a combination of folding and nesting, paired with both heavy and light materials. Color became central in the later stages. While the metal framework of OctaPlay was initially conceived in black, prolonged time on site led the team to reconsider. Surrounded daily by dark industrial structures, they introduced silver surfaces with soft peach tones on the reverse, subtly lightening the installation.

Wind becomes the invisible conductor of the installation, animating the suspended elements and determining their rhythm. As sunlight passes through the rotating discs, colored reflections drift across the ground, turning visitors into participants within a temporary field of light. 

Yong Ding He Ji occupies a complex terrain where riverbanks, mountains, and factory relics coexist. The broader development follows a strategy of minimal intervention and spatial extension, allowing architecture, art, and commercial programs to emerge from the existing ground. OctaPlay operates within this logic and responds to the surrounding chimneys and steel structures, translating their scale and symbolism into an abstract, human-scaled form.

OctaPlay by Daxing Jizi Design stands within Shougang Park’s former steelworks

suspended colored discs through folded metal surfaces | image by Li Haibin

the installation stands between industrial relics and surrounding hills

the installation invites visitors to move through shifting fields of color and shadow

OctaPlay reinterprets the vertical mass of smokestacks

cut-out openings and folded edges define the human-scaled structure

suspended discs rotate gently, producing overlapping chromatic effects

the folded structure frames light, color, and movement

layered geometry and rotating colored elements

wind-driven colored discs animate the installation

an ever-changing composition of light and shadow | image by Kong Fansheng

wind becomes the invisible conductor of the installation | image by Kong Fansheng

octagonal frame and folded surfaces recall paper origami | image by Kong Fansheng

snow transforms OctaPlay into a seasonal landmark | image by Yong Ding He Ji

project info:

name: OctaPlay

artist: Daxing Jizi Design | @daxingjizi

location: Yong Ding He Ji, Shougang Park, Beijing (Shijingshan District, left bank of Yongding River)

area: 50 square meters

project director: Xie Qiongzhi

lead designer: Zeng Zhenwei

design consultant: Li Wenhai

structural engineering: AND Office

client: Yong Ding He Ji

photographer: Zhu Yumeng | @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio, Kong Fansheng

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Cheng Tsung Feng unveils Dragon Palace III in Kinmen, Taiwan, an outdoor installation that draws from the ancient horseshoe crab as both architectural form and cultural symbol. Set on Kinmen Island, where the species has long shaped local ecological and mythological narratives, the work translates the distinctive anatomy of the creature into a timber-and-canvas structure that operates as part shelter and part sculptural landmark. The project draws on Feng’s deep engagement with traditional craft, using wood, rope, and fabric to evoke the creature’s protective shell while creating a space for communal gathering and reflection.

The core structure of the installation emerges from an arching wooden framework that echoes the curvature of the horseshoe crab’s carapace. White canvas is draped in layered sections over the timber skeleton, forming an enclosure. Intentional gaps allow beams to pierce through the surface, creating moments where sharp edges interrupt the smoothness of the canvas. This interplay recalls the duality embedded in the creature itself, whose body is shaped for defense yet delicate in its ecological role, a so-called ‘living fossil’ that has endured for more than 400 million years.

all images by Fixer Photography Studio

Dragon Palace III draws from the Horseshoe Crab shell

Through Dragon Palace III Kinmen, Cheng Tsung Feng turns the primordial figure of the horseshoe crab into a space that carries ecological memory and communal resonance. The Taiwanese artist’s installation becomes a ceremonial chamber, defined by filtered daylight, timber ribs overhead, and the tactile simplicity of natural materials. The construction techniques that include tying, bending, and binding reference island traditions while keeping the structure resolutely contemporary. Visitors step into a sanctuary that frames Kinmen’s connection to land and sea.

As evening arrives, soft light spreads across the canvas shell and along its elongated, tail-like extension, introducing a dreamlike quality that shifts the reading of the form. The structure appears to stir, as if a mythic creature has surfaced from the shoreline. This nocturnal presence hints at the island’s folklore, echoing the idea of hidden palaces rising from the sea and blurring distinctions between natural history and imagination.

Cheng Tsung Feng unveils Dragon Palace III in Kinmen, Taiwan

the outdoor installation draws from the ancient horseshoe crab

set on Kinmen Island, where the species has long shaped local ecological and mythological narratives

the work translates the distinctive anatomy of the creature into a timber-and-canvas structure

part shelter and part sculptural landmark

rhe project draws on Feng’s deep engagement with traditional craft

using wood, rope, and fabric to evoke the creature’s protective shell

a space for communal gathering and reflection

the core structure of the installation emerges from an arcing wooden framework

echoing the curvature of the horseshoe crab’s carapace

white canvas is draped in layered sections over the timber skeleton

intentional gaps allow beams to pierce through the surface

as evening arrives, soft light spreads across the canvas shell and along its elongated, tail-like extension

project info:

name: Dragon Palace III Kinmen
artist: Cheng Tsung Feng

location: Jinning, Kinmen, Taiwan

photographer: Fixer Photography Studio | @fixer_photographic_studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Emerging London architecture practice WUA Studio, in collaboration with Sordo Madaleno architects, reveals an installation titled Floating Boats at the Art Field Nanhai Guangdong 2024 festival in Foshan, China. Rooted in the personal history of WUA Studio’s founder Shawn Shaobo Wu, this piece draws inspiration from dragon boat racing and the historical Silkworm House—a two-story riverbank structure integral to the regional mulberry dike fishpond tradition. The design transforms this heritage into a sensory experience, aligning with Be Like Water, the festival’s theme, which also includes contributions by Sou Fujimoto and Ma Yansong. The installation unfolds across three distinct levels, each representing a different state of being.

all images by Kong Jinquan, unless stated otherwise

reinterpreting chinese ancient water village traditions

The London-based team of WUA Studio together with the Mexican architects Sordo Madaleno reinterpret the ancient water village traditions of China through Floating Boats. On the ground floor of this structure, dragon boats rest underwater, symbolizing dormancy and the preservation of their wooden forms during the off-season. This enclosed space evokes an archaeological site, emphasizing the harmony between crafted utilities and nature. The first level transitions to a stage of anticipation and calm, reflecting the moments of stillness before a race. Finally, on the second floor, lightweight boats appear to skim across water, suspended by tensile threads. This dynamic illusion captures the elegance and speed of dragon boat racing, directing the gaze skyward towards light and motion.

WUA Studio with Sordo Madaleno architects reveal Floating Boats at the Art Field Nanhai Guangdong 2024

the piece is part of the Art Field Nanhai Guangdong 2024 festival

Through its textured and ephemeral design, through Floating Boats, WUA Studio and Sordo Madaleno transform the Silkworm House into a spiritual vessel that reimagines the relationship between place and memory. Dragon boats hold profound cultural meaning, symbolizing communal effort, spiritual connection, and emotional resonance. The installation encapsulates these values, incorporating natural elements within a geometric structural grid. Floating Boats is part of the Art Field Nanhai Guangdong 2024 festival, which features 95 projects and over 200 artworks by 194 artists from 30 countries.

the installation draws inspiration from dragon boat racing and the historical Silkworm House

aligning with the theme of the festival, Be Like Water | image by Tian Fangfang

the installation unfolds across three distinct levels | image by Zhang Jing

lightweight boats appear to skim across water

Floating Boats transforms the Silkworm House into a ‘spiritual vessel’ | image by Zhang Jing

each floor represents a different state of being | image by Tian Fangfang

dragon boats symbolize communal effort, spiritual connection, and emotional resonance | image by Tian Fangfang

blending natural elements with a geometric structural grid | image by Tian Fangfang

on the ground floor of this installation, dragon boats rest underwater | image by Tian Fangfang

project info:

name: Floating Boats

architects: WUA Studio | @wuastudio, Sordo Madaleno | @sordo_madaleno

location: Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong, China

client: People’s Government of Nanhai District, Foshan City
dates: Until 12 February 2025

curatorship: Hubart

project leaders: Shawn Shaobo Wu (WUA), Fernando Sordo Madaleno (SMA)

team members: Jing Wang (WUA), Tamara Muñoz (SMA), Jaime Sol (SMA)

construction: Ground floor and first level: Foshan Ruisiao Space Design; second level: Yilian Beijing Culture and Exhibition

photography: Zhang Jing, Tian Fangfang | @tianfangfang2019, Kong Jinquan 

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Architecture and art studio Naoonaoo presents Barbie Mountain, a public installation in Suzhou’s Huqiu District, created to revitalize a once outdated commercial area near a residential community. The installation features 40 pink acrylic bubbles that aim to bring a sense of new romance and imagination to the waterfront of the city. Traditional Taihushi rockeries and stone pagodas of Suzhou inspire this project that reinterprets these historical forms using five types of prefabricated acrylic modules. A central steel spine supports the modules, forming an undulating landscape that blends with the surroundings.

all images by Jianing Zhang, courtesy of Naoonaoo

pink bubbles reinterpret historical forms on suzhou waterfront

Situated along the waterfront, Chinese studio Naoonaoo sets Barbie Mountain against lush greenery and distinctive community buildings. Pink, as a dominant color, symbolizes different moods across time and space. It reflects morning light against the clouds, records dewdrops, and glows under the midday sun or the moonlight. The bubbles of the installation mirror the changing skies—from warm sunsets to starry nights—and invite people of all ages to stroll, breathe, and enjoy the environment. By reimagining Suzhou’s traditional garden elements through contemporary materials and techniques, Barbie Mountain seeks to capture the serenity and poetic essence of the outskirts.

Barbie Mountain is a public installation in Suzhou’s Huqiu District

40 pink acrylic bubbles form the installation

the installation aims to bring a sense of new romance to the waterfront of the city

Traditional Taihushi rockeries and stone pagodas of Suzhou inspire this project

Barbie Mountain reinterprets historical forms using five types of prefabricated acrylic modules

a central steel spine supports the modules

an undulating landscape that blends with the natural surroundings

Naoonaoo sets Barbie Mountain against lush greenery and distinctive community buildings

project info:

name: Barbie Mountain

designer: NAOONAOO, Ziwei Song

design & construction collaborator: deep origin lab

location: Suzhou’s Huqiu District, China

photographer: Jianing Zhang | @black____light

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Matrix-Space for All is an inflatable installation created by CPLUS that provides a soft and safe perceptual sensation, like ‘returning to the mother’s womb’, in contrast to the hard, cold concrete forest of the encompassing CBD in Beijing. The spatial experience is on view at the Taikang Art Museum throughout this summer, suspended in the air from its 13 meter height and taking shape as a vast, white ellipsoidal cabin.

Forming a space within a space, the Chinese architects encourage people to establish emotional bonds with the city in a shared exploration of the proximate space. Like a giant cocoon that transcends reality, it is ambiguous and polysemous, characterized by a primitive sense of the future, and producing a series of dialogues with the gallery, such as ‘soft and hard’, ‘light and heavy’, ‘hazy and clear’.

all images by Zhu Yumeng

cplus brings otherworldly spatial experience to urban beijing

Taikang Art Museum is located in the core area of Beijing CBD, surrounded by super-tall buildings which symbolize the influence of the city while causing a certain oppression. What kind of installation can bring a unique experience to a dynamic high-rise city, while meeting the specific requirements of the gallery, was the primary question to be answered in the design. Ultimately, with the goal to alleviate the alienation in modern cities as a touch point, the architects at CPLUS created a place that connects with people’s bodies, emotions, and memories in an intimate way.

Matrix-Space for All is suspended in the air by cables attached to pre-embedded components on the roof structure, thus liberating the ground space and reducing on-site activity restrictions. The main structure is lifted 2.2 meters above the ground, and only a small distance away from the wall, releasing a strong spatial tension which represents a subtle relationship between expansion and collision, implying a variety of metropolitan pressures. Visitors pass through a movable steel ladder to complete the transition from the high-ceilinged rectangular gallery to the wrapped air cabin.

CPLUS presents Matrix-Space for All

Inside Matrix-Space, the human body interacts with the soft surface of the semi-transparent membrane material in all directions. The membrane realizes the space occupation of geometric volume, and at the same time achieves a relatively light state. In addition, the control of light and sound on site fully stimulates the sensory experience, while the pure interior space allows visitors to detach themselves from daily life, entirely relax their tense bodies, and try to perceive the existence of life.

CPLUS’ methodology of structural design applies the rigidity of an inflatable membrane structure forming an indoor space, and then applying cables to collect the tensile stress from bottom surface to form a cradle suspension. Finally those cables transform force into the structural system of the original building through a set of spatial steel trusses. The overall structure utilizes three-layer membrane material to form two main air cabins, including an inner structural cabin and an outer decorative cabin. The engineers utilized an ellipsoidal double-layer air inflatable structure to form an enterable space, ensuring that the air pressure is equalized inside and outside, eliminating the requirement of pressure transition cabins. The outer air membrane fills outwards when the pressure difference between the inside and atmosphere is about 0.3 times the atmospheric pressure, while the inner side had intend of decrease inwards.

a soft and safe perceptual sensation, like ‘returning to the mother’s womb’

A series of pulling sheets are set between the inside and outside to prevent the inner membrane from collapsing, and the hanging points form concentrated loads, which destroy the tension effect formed by the surface air pressure, causing unsightly wrinkles or bulges, and bringing in potential safety hazards. The engineers set tension load path along the tangent direction of the ellipsoid’s cut section by specifying the force transmission so that the membrane only bears the tensile stress within the surface, ensuring that the tensile stresses are dispersed as evenly as possible within the range below the hanging points, eliminating the risk of stress concentration.

its lightness contrasts to the hard, cold concrete forest of the encompassing CBD in Beijing

forming a space within a space, CPLUS encourages people to establish emotional bonds with the city

visitors pass through a movable steel ladder to complete the transition

Matrix-Space is ambiguous and polysemous, characterized by a primitive sense of the future

suspended in the air from its 13 meter height and taking shape as a vast, white ellipsoidal cabin

on view at the Taikang Art Museum throughout this summer

an immersive spatial experience

suspended in the air by cables attached to pre-embedded components on the roof structure

the structural design applies the rigidity of an inflatable membrane structure forming an indoor space

project info:

name: Matrix-Space for All Space Installation at Taikang Art Museum
designer: CPLUS (Cheng Yanchun, Li Nan)
lead architect: Cheng Yanchun

design team: Liu Xiaoguang, Bo Chen, Guo Feng, Zhu Jiaying

structural consultant: Lava Structural — Zhang Jinbin, Tang Lida, Jian Li, Liu Keke

location: Taikang Art Museum, Beijing, China

area: 145 square meters

photography: Zhu Yumeng, Zhang Jinbin

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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Hermès Shanghai taps architect Li Han, the Principal of Drawing Architecture Studio, to create a new summer window display for the Maison in Shanghai named ‘Scape of Urban Object’ alongside the exhibition ‘Life Models’ on the fourth floor of the establishment. The window art features urban objects like buses, vending machines, bus stops, billboards, electric boxes, utility poles, and fire water tanks, which are transformed and presented in a colorful and artistic way. The window display aims to show the different meanings of ordinary objects in city life and encourages viewers to see their surroundings in a new light.

After stepping inside Hermès in Shanghai, visitors are further guided into Li Han’s solo exhibition named ‘Life Models’ where eight stations of artistic and architectural models are held on the 4th floor of the Hermès Maison. Occupying the entire level, the latest architectural pieces and artworks by Li Han explore the connection between buildings and life and present urban architecture as artistic scenes that combine contradictory elements of city life. Visitors are invited to check out the vibrant window display at No.217 Middle Huaihai Road in Shanghai and swing by to walk through Li Han’s exhibition which runs from May 25th to June 11th, 2023.

Men’s Universe Window: Tower of Urban Object | header: Women’s Universe Window: Road of Urban Object | photos by Hu Zengfei | images courtesy of Hermès and Drawing Architecture Studio

‘Life models’ exhibition explores the urban life

Li Han’s exhibition ‘Life Models’ inside Hermès Shanghai features several unique artworks that explore different aspects of urban life. ‘Dragon Theater’ is an imaginative representation of Chinese cities, inspired by a Sichuan opera theater in a parking garage. It combines storytelling and personal perspectives, capturing the magic of densely populated areas. ‘Pigeon Cage Chapel’ symbolizes the small living spaces in expensive cities, with a contrasting exterior and a pure white interior illuminated by stained-glass windows. ‘Ideal City’ presents a high-density collage of urban elements, juxtaposing chaotic urban spaces with classic architecture. 

‘Becoming A Monument’ showcases the transformation of social housing buildings over 70 years, highlighting contrasts between practicality and monumentality. ‘City of Domestic Machine’ redefines mobility by transforming transportation machines into tools for utilizing urban public spaces. ‘The Cave’ fuses traditional and contemporary elements as a representation of window holes and Chinese cave dwellings. ‘Suddenly This View’ captures the poetry of everyday life through small models and photography, revealing the microscopic world of urban scenes.

Life Models Exhibition View | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

Perceiving architectural models as artworks

Li Han’s exhibition ‘Life Models’ inside Hermès Shanghai toys with the concept of architectural models as artworks. These models are not only tools for architects but can also be transformed into different forms of art, like paintings, sculptures, or installations. Gracing the exhibition, dollhouses and building block toys as tangible objects to touch, three-dimensional sketches, drawings, and even comics greet the visitors.

For Li Han, making models is both designing architecture and creating art, and just like Li Han himself blurring the lines between being an architect and an artist, these works are in an undefined state. Somehow, these works of art and architecture sit within a realm of ambiguity that whips up a fascinating colorful landscape and displays inside Hermès Shanghai, making the vibrant exhibition and window displays unique and interesting.

Life Models Exhibition View | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

Life Models Exhibition View | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

Life Models Exhibition View | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

Dragon Theater © Drawing Architecture Studio

Suddenly This View © Drawing Architecture Studio

Ideal City Details © Drawing Architecture Studio

Ideal City | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

Pigeon Cage Chapel | photo © Hermès, by Li Qianchao

project info:

name: Scape of Urban Object and Life Models

brand: Hermès (Shanghai Maison)

design: Li Han

studio: Drawing Architecture Studio

exhibition Location: Middle Huai Hai Road, Shanghai, China

dates: May 25th to June 11th, 2023

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A vibrant illustration celebrating culture, industrialization, and architectural feats, Dongbei Renaissance is a mural project that revives a plain gable wall of a preserved warehouse in Shenyang, China, with a Renaissance-basilica-like facade. Completed by Drawing Architecture Studio, the mural artwork revives the tradition of Renaissance frescos to illustrate a lively recollection of different aspects of history and social life in Dongbei — encapsulating the region’s industrial past, economic development, and cultural enrichment.

The content of Dongbei Renaissance is inspired by the cultural phenomenon of the same name, but the completed mural is more a celebration of the local community’s optimistic spirit towards life in the face of the difficulties of reality. Transforming the warehouse with a renewed functionality, the project which is part of a wider regeneration scheme has been conceived with the intention to bring new excitement to a historic construction for the general public. ‘The significance of this project may lie in the power of image in the transformation of space and emotional connections that the image can generate between the viewer and itself,’ notes the team at Drawing Architecture Studio.

all images by Wang Hongyue

illustrating chinese industrialization with renaissance frescos

Drawing Architecture Studio’s mural is part of the area of Dong Mao Ku’s wider renovation scheme which sought to create a commemorative attraction for the new neighborhood as it was transformed from an historic storage and transportation hub into a residential space. The design team drew inspiration from the culture boom in Dongbei — a term collectively referring to three provinces in Northeast China: Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang — alongside Renaissance architecture and fresco art in Italy.

The Dongbei Renaissance mural revives the historic era’s traditional design languages, including the layered facades, exterior ornamentation shaped from relief and material collage, and interior frescos illustrating spectacular scenes, along the warehouse elevation. The mural design is divided into two layers. As the extension of the original pilasters on the gable wall, some wooden frames are drawn as the first layer to simulate architectural structure. Such a mixture of real and fake gives the overall composition a strong visual framework, which can also find its origin in the Renaissance fresco. The second layer comprises 34 individual drawings of various dimensions inserted into the framework, depicting several subjects including: historic landmarks of Shenyang, the city’s industrial heritage, and renowned venues alluded to in literature, entertainment, and local lifestyle.

Dongbei Renaissance revitalizes a preserved warehouses at Dong Mao Ku

a celebration of dongbei’s cultural history

As part of the renovation project, all preserved warehouses in Dong Mao Ku were renovated as public spaces for the local community. Following the idea of finding renewed functions for the structures, Drawing Architecture Studio takes the interiors of the warehouses as a series of stages to showcase different highlights of life in Dongbei: the Warehouse of Literature portrays some of the most popular bookstores and libraries in the city; the Warehouse of Entertainment is a large performance center in which local musicians, performers, and comedy artists exhibit their talents; and the Warehouse of Gourmet depicts lively scenes from barbeque restaurants and night markets.

While the cooling towers at the area’s existing power plant were set to be demolished, the Dongbei Mural imagines one of the structures as a multi-floor bathhouse while another is transformed into an ice park where people enjoy all kinds of winter sports. Elsewhere, scenes revitalize the old workers’ villages and abandoned factories that had become mere imprints on the city’s decline. The mural depicts machines in the factories running at full speed to contribute to the country’s industrial development, meanwhile workers can be seen returning to their clean homes after another day of work.‘Behind the joyful scenes hide the harsh life changes a generation has experienced due to the economic transformation,’ notes the team.

Drawing Architecture Studio draws inspiration from Renaissance architecture and art

the vibrant frescos encapsulate the region’s industrial past, economic development, and cultural enrichment

a series of stages showcase different highlights of life in Dongbei

mural framework mixed with real and fake structures

cooling tower as a bathhouse

project info:

name: Dongbei Renaissance
designer: Drawing Architecture Studio

design team: Li Han, Hu Yan, Zhang Xintong, Zhang Yuanbo, Sun Tianzhi, Wu Junxi, Li Shiyan, Tao Xuanshu, Li Fengming, Ma Shuyuan, Luo Yuanjia, Yi Yanqi, Li Gezi, Tang Xinyu, Xu Xiaoxuan

commissioned by: China Resources Lands

completed: 2021

photography: Wang Hongyue

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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heads of well-known authoritarian state leaders are turned into wire mesh illustrations that symbolize their invisible mind prisons. through the mesh, dark figures of prisoners being tortured for having different political beliefs are revealed, with which the artist aims to highlight that it is the ‘minds’ of dictatorships that deprive them of their freedoms and safety. the illustrations have been silk screen printed on 2 by 3 meter-sized canvases, and later made into short videos, exhibited on shanghai design biennial and other art exhibitions in china and abroad.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom

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ren ri: yuansu projects
pearl lam galleries hong kong SOHO
on now until april 12th, 2015

located in a vibrant and fast-developing district of the bustling asian metropolis, the ground and first floor space of pearl lam galleries new space at SOHO 189 gives the cultural organization a better platform in which to promote its homegrown, and global line-up of artists; with two out of ten shows each year dedicated to two international designers. its aim is to support and enhance the art scene at a local, regional and world level.

the artist manipulates bees’ behavior to form his organic and stunning sculptures

the pearl lam galleries hong kong SOHO opens its doors with an exhibition curated by david ho yeung, that presents the three-dimensional organic forms of ren ri. the beijing-based artist’s practice is an expression of his intimate experience with bees, both as a creative and a beekeeper, in which he employs beeswax as his chosen medium. ren manipulates the movement of the insects, and the formation of honeycombs to realize his metaphysical and hybrid sculptures, which stand to investigate the force of nature and consequences of human intervention. the show features 40 previously unseen works and sees the artist taking over the space with two distinctive works: ‘yuansu I: the origin of geometry’ and ‘yuansu II’.

every seven days the boxes containing the bees are repositioned to create new, living forms

‘yuansu I: the origin of geometry’ incorporates maps into the make-up of beeswax, while ‘yuansu II’ is a series of otherworldly geometric forms manipulated by bee behavior. to achieve these stunning sculptures, ren places a queen bee in the middle of a box, while worker bees build natural beehives around her. every seven days, a reference to the seven days of creation, ren changes the position of the box, to create a living object. ‘yuansu II’ embodies a belief system that symbolizes new metaphysical qualities and forms of life itself.  

installation view of ren ri: yuansu projects at pearl lam galleries hong kong SOHO

‘the duality of interactions between the human body and the bees is not simply in the physical sense; more importantly it hints at an interrelated force and its counterforce.’ – ren ri
full view of a sculpture from the ‘yuansu II’ series

each three-dimensional work is a changing vision

the bees housed within carve out the wax to create the otherworldly forms

‘yuansu II’ embodies a belief system that symbolizes new metaphysical qualities and forms of life itself

‘yuansu I: the origin of geometry’

details of ‘yuansu I: the origin of geometry’

The post ren ri makes a buzz at pearl lam galleries with beeswax sculptures appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

zhang gong was born in 1959 in beijing, china. his work crosses the mediums of animation, photography and painting – for which he is best known. his paintings often feature cartoon characters both famous and of his own making in settings that explore art history and popular culture in both asia and the west. he currently works between china and the USA . he is represented by klein sun gallery.

designboom: what made you want to become an artist?
zhang gong: I realized that I wanted to become an artist ever since I began to have some initial knowledge and understanding of art.

DB: who or what has been the biggest influence on your approach to art?
ZG: the biggest influence on my creative process has been the people from my maturation process, emerging step by step. therefore, there is no one specific person. in 1992, the shoeni gallery in hong kong held my premiere solo exhibition, which proved to be the most important event in terms of my creative work thus far.

the raft of medusa no.2, 2013
acrylic on canvas, 130 x 197 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

B-29 bomber, 2008
acrylic on canvas, 170 x 330 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

cafe no.2, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 120 x 220cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

 
waiting for spring, 2012
acrylic on canvas, 120 x 175 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

expulsion from eden, 2013
acrylic on canvas, 110 x 170 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

winter in central park, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 80 x 120cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

picnic in hawaii, 2013
acrylic on canvas, 100 x 215cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

gathering in la grande jatte, 2012
acrylic on canvas, 80 x 120 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

golden beach, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 60 x 75cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

DB: how would you describe your approach to someone unfamiliar with your work?
ZG: my work, all along, has undergone continuous study, continuous reflection, and, continuous change – as a result my art is always subject to transformation.

DB: who would you describe the evolution of your work?
ZG: my first pieces of work came into fruition during the time when china was closed to all foreign contact and was thus influenced by the restrictive nature of the region and that work has the intense vestige of that period. my artwork today has developed during the thirty years since china opened its doors to the world – allowing for uninterrupted understanding regarding the contemporary art world, the absorption of that nourishment, and the opportunity to fuse all of this into the midst of my own artwork.

DB: which piece or collection has given you the most satisfaction?
ZG: the paintings that I created of new york and beijing, due to the fact that new york is my most beloved city in the world.

new york city, 2011
acrylic on canvas
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

new york city, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 120 x 220cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

new york morning, 2011
acrylic on canvas, 54x64cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

new york starry night, 2010
acrylic on canvas, 120 x 220 cm
image courtesy klein sun gallery, NY
© zhang gong

DB: do you have any superstitious beliefs or rules that you live by?
ZG: I have strong principles. life, I believe, has ecumenical value, freedom, justice, equality, and universal love. work, I believe, operates in line with the wheel of karma.

DB: what would you like to accomplish in the near future?
ZG: I would like to complete a batch of good work that can further prove myself as an artist.

DB: what’s your personal motto?
ZG: my personal motto is jean-paul sartre’s existentialist doctrine: choice and action.

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