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Swing Up and Landing, Nanhai Art Field
By : Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM)
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Other categories in architecture / Temporary Installation : Gold Certification
Art Field Nanhai Guangdong 2022 is the largest biennale Art Festival in China to date, held in 8 areas, showing 73 art projects created by 134 artists. Among the major themes of the festival are connection of humans with nature, celebration of local culture, rural revitalization and creative placemaking. BAM created a pair of outdoor art installations for the festival.
“Landing” mimics the ocean’s ebb and flow, revealing all types of traditional Chinese mythical beasts and reinterpreting various elements of local architecture and handicrafts with a colorful twist. Some of the mythical beasts in the water have come ashore, and some are still fighting for opportunities. The shelter under the roof, paying homage to traditional houses in Foshan, lights up a beacon in the ocean celebrating all that came ashore. The fluorescent colors pop out from the shelter of the tree. The sleek square support columns echo the bent branches of a plant species known as the “Sifang Bamboo” growing on site.
“Swing Up”, an installation with an actual swing, deconstructs and rearranges the traditional Lion Dance, playfully referencing auspicious Chinese idioms. The eyes as the main element of the piece have different shapes, referring to the different characters of the dancing lion. The lions jolly mouth reveals is wide open and playful springs sway in the wind. Similar to “Landing”, the support columns bend subtly, abstracting into four long legs and ending with two pairs of playful ‘lucky feet’ of the dancing lion.
