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Recent Visitors
Urban Art Projects unveils seven major artworks
2010. 2 June
Weave: Cultural City - Cultural Life
(prlog.org)
Leading international design studio Urban Art Projects (UAP) has unveiled seven major public art sculptures for the main entrance areas of the Shanghai World Expo 2010, which opened to the public on 1st May and runs through until 31 October.
UAP was selected from over 100 international tenders to design the exuberant, inspiring and playful artworks which include fireworks, giant toys and straw-hat inspired sculptures.
Led by Matthew Tobin and Jamie Perrow, UAP’s in house design team developed the concepts for the semi-permanent artworks and oversaw their fabrication in China through an international network of skilled fabricators.
Shanghai Expo’s theme of ‘Better City, Better Life’ provides a timely opportunity for cross cultural dialogues on the future of urban life and the potential for better living within urban environments. UAP responded to this theme and society’s ongoing quest for the ‘ideal city’, by presenting a range of attributes often considered crucial to the idea of a ‘better city, better life’.
On the themes of: Creative City – Creative Life; Green City – Green Life; Connected City – Connected Life; Cultural City – Cultural Life; these ‘cities’ are represented in the concepts and designs of the artworks.
Celebrate: Cultural City – Cultural Life
The star burst of colour and cascading flames of a firework dramatically symbolize the Chinese love of festivals in Celebrate. An important part of Chinese tradition, Chinese festivals fall into three main categories: agriculture, religions and social, and include well known events such as the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Each festival is rich in its own tradition and ritual. Celebrate’s burst of fireworks, are innovatively lit to create a festive atmosphere. Monumental in scale, visitors to the site are able to experience the artworks in a manner evocative of watching fireworks.
Connect: Connected City – Connected Life
Connect is inspired by an east Asian belief, originating from Chinese legend, in which it is believed the Gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates. Connect, located at the entrance of the site, will be used by thousands of people every day as a place to meet, to reconnect if lost and to keep the ties of family and friends strong.
Playtime: Creative City – Creative Life
Toys have had a prime place in Chinese society since ancient times. Today the Chinese toy industry dominates the global market and has played an important role in China’s economic boom. In Playtime, gigantic toys, reminiscent of childhood will be strewn across the site like a child’s playroom in a state of disarray. Some will stand erect, others tottering or submerged. A space is created where visitors are dwarfed by the size of the toy, and the physical relationship between toys and humans is subverted. Through the simple shapes, comic nature and bright plastic colours of the toys, Playtime pays respect to the Chinese toy industry and its creative resilience.
Weave: Cultural City – Cultural Life
Chinese knotting is a decorative art that began during the Tang and Song Dynasty. Every Chinese knot is made of a single rope and by combining different knots, unique ornaments representing beauty, ideas and wishes are formed. Weave draws inspiration from Chinese knotting as monumental knotted structures stand as decorative and symbolic totems within the site.
Fortune: Cultural City – Cultural Life
The fortune cookie, first created by the Chinese diaspora in America during the early 20th Century, was made as a tribute to their homeland. Fortune cookies have a folded form that is now an icon associated with the foretelling of future. Inspired by the fortune cookie’s unique form, monumental fortune cookie shaped sculptures are scattered throughout the site. Fortune presents a playful approach to what is an ostensibly Chinese shape.
Float: Green City – Green Life
A versatile hat used widely throughout Asia is iconically linked with workers in rice paddies. This simple conical form, often woven from bamboo, gives shelter from rain and much needed shade to the wearer. Variations of this hat are seen throughout China. Float takes inspiration from this iconic and functional form, presenting expansive sweeping cones perched on elongated poles. These large and delicate structures will provide canopies of shade for visitors whilst casting shadow play on the ground plane beneath.
Unite: Connected City – Connected Life
Unite is inspired by a concept of people around the globe, united in a network that transcends race and culture. Figures of differing scale, standing hand in hand around the site, placed in circular formations, creating a monumental and embracing expression of unification.
Speaking about the works, Matt Tobin, Principal of UAP said: “It is hugely exciting to be involved in such an inspirational global event, and in the first few days of the Expo we have been delighted to see visitors’ positive reactions to the sculptures. Our artworks capture the spirit of the Expo, celebrating well known icons of Chinese culture and inviting interaction with these playful objects.”
- Ends -
For further information and images, please contact:
Justine Harvey / Peter Dye / Chantelle Osborne
T: + 44 (0) 20 7247 8334 M: +44 (0)7894 462 341 / +44 (0)7738 260447
E: Justine@ing-
Source: www.prlog.org