edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson’s wolfhouse in NY

the project brings together moving image, edible sculpture, and site-specific interventions, exploring the relationships between memory, landscape, architecture, and the experience of place.

Lang Lang edited by christina vergopoulou October 28, 2026 4 min

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NO.29 STUDIO STAGES SITE-SPECIFIC EDIBLE SCULPTURES AT Wolfhouse

Presented on October 10th, 2026, at Wolfhouse, a 1949 modernist residence designed by Philip Johnson in Newburgh, New York, Island on Land – A Landscape in Five States is a site-specific exhibition by artists Lang Lang (founder of studio No.29) and Xie Peng. Developed as a spatial translation of Lang’s 2024 experimental short film of the same name, the project merged moving images, ephemeral edible sculptures, and modular metal and acrylic structures across the home’s interior rooms, exterior terrace, and grounds.

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 1 — The Panel installed in the living room of Wolfhouse, a modernist residence designed by Philip Johnson in 1949 | all images ©David Luo

ALUMINUM ARMATURES AND ACRYLIC STANDS MAP FIVE FILM CHAPTERS

The installation by No.29 studio mapped five thematic fragments from the film into physical works that juxtaposed durable industrial hardware with biodegradable, consumable media. Indoors, Black Pearls, textured chocolate spheres filled with grape jelly and jasmine cream, sat within spiral spherical recesses on The Panel, a mirrored stainless steel tray reflecting the room as pieces were removed. A Drop Within, a translucent sphere with a deep-red core, was supported by The Stands, an assembly of circular acrylic panels and curved metal joints fastened with fashion-derived snap buttons instead of threaded hardware.

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 2 — Black Pearls, edible sculptures by Lang Lang, presented on The Panel, a mirrored stainless steel installation by Xie Peng

TRANSIENT EDIBLE MEDIA CONTRASTS MODERNIST ARCHITECTURAL SPACE

On the exterior patio framing views of the Hudson River, Red Soil combined buckwheat, fig, and chocolate terrain atop The Table, a two-panel aluminum surface joined with snap fasteners and red steel stabilization rods. White Trace incorporated rice-paper vessels holding watermelon and perilla syrups, set into circular acrylic cutouts on a folding, reconfigurable aluminum screen termed The Partition. Dispersed across the landscape, A Quiet Turn positioned biodegradable door handles directly on the turf. The non-linear sequence allowed attendees to navigate the estate freely, consuming the perishable elements while the fabricated armatures remained.

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 3 — detail of Black Pearls by Lang Lang, with individually crafted edible spheres arranged across the reflective surface of The Panel by Xie Peng

wolfhouse-new-york-island-on-land-a-landscape-in-five-states-studio-no-29-designboom-1800-1 — Red Soil by Lang Lang, an edible landscape sculpture presented on a metal structure, with the Hudson River and surrounding landscape in the background

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 4 — A Drop Within by Lang Lang, a translucent edible sculpture with a deep red center, exploring transparency, reflection, and the relationship between interior and exterior

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 5 — close-up of A Drop Within by Lang Lang, revealing condensation, subtle textures, and reflections across its translucent surface

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 6 — a sculptural installation by Xie Peng positioned against the exterior of Wolfhouse, extending the exhibition into the surrounding architecture

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 7 — White Trace by Lang Lang, a series of delicate edible rice paper vessels suspended on a sculptural structure, creating a fleeting sensory experience

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 8 — detail of a sculptural installation by Xie Peng, exploring geometry, transparency, and the relationship between the artwork and the architecture of Wolfhouse

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 9 — A Quiet Turn by Lang Lang, an outdoor installation of biodegradable door handles scattered across the lawn of Wolfhouse, gradually blending into the natural landscape

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 10 — visitors gathering at Wolfhouse during Island on Land: A Landscape in Five States, an exhibition by Lang Lang and Xie Peng, October 10th, 2026

edible sculptures and snap-button metal armatures activate philip johnson's wolfhouse in NY - 11 — exterior view of Wolfhouse during Island on Land, where moving images, edible sculptures, and spatial installations engaged with the modernist architecture

wolfhouse-new-york-island-on-land-a-landscape-in-five-states-studio-no-29-designboom-1800-3 — the project translates themes from Lang’s 2024 short film into physical spatial installations

project info:

name: Island on Land – A Landscape in Five States

designer: Studio No.29 | @__no29__
lead designer: Lang Lang and Xie Peng
location: Wolfhouse, Newburgh, New York, US

photographer: David Luo | @davidluophoto

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