dream installation by penda assembles lace-like patterns out of welded metal

Dream installation opens Qingshan Public Art Festival

Sun Dayong, lead architect of Penda China unveils his latest work, Dream, during the inaugural Qingshan Public Art Festival in 2023. With a deep-rooted commitment to green environmental values and a profound passion for design, the creative’s philosophy of ‘Less is Love’ guides a series of spatial design projects that resonate with audiences far beyond the architectural community. The Qingshan Public Art Festival brings contemporary art to the village of Qingshan, offering an immersive experience across four curated sections: ‘Public Art’, ‘Natural Theater’, ‘Live Sound’, and ‘Local Connection’. The various sections support the experiences of seeing, hearing, traveling, and learning, to build new connections between the public, art, and nature. Selected by curator Jiang Jian to be the first piece exhibited in the village, Dream installation effectively opens the festival and simultaneously the ‘Local Connection’ section as well.

spatial installation by Penda resembles a large pillow

Dream draws from the natural landscape and cultural heritage of Qingshan Village, and aims to embody the various contemplative experiences envisioned by the festival. The spatial installation resembles a large pillow, nestled gracefully amidst the wheat fields and green hills emerging from the soil. Its lace-like pattern, crafted through parametric design with welded metal, imbues the work with a gentle, fabric-like texture, casting captivating shadows under the ever-changing sunlight.

Within the rural area of the festival, various countryside settings such as lawns, and bamboo forests can be found in varying proximity to the installation. As visitors step inside Dream, they experience the difference between the internal feel and the external point of view, as the perspectives bring an aesthetic quality to the structure’s atmosphere and suggest infinite views of the landscape encouraging a profound connection with nature. By day, the installation resonates harmoniously with the sky and earth, creating a human-scaled sanctuary of serenity. As evening descends, the ‘pillow’ invites visitors to lie down, gazing at the stars and listening to the sounds of nature, forging an intimate bond with the environment.

Dayong‘s vision of Dream imparts a message of hope and unity with nature. By immersing themselves in this ethereal space, visitors are reminded to nurture their dreams and seek solace and inspiration in the eternal embrace of love and nature.

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project info:

name: Dream
designer: Sun Dayong – Penda China | @penda_china
location: Qingshan, China

photography: Xia Zhi | @xiazhi_photographer – Zhang Qimin

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