Client
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Completion date: 2020
Project Team
Artist
Chris Wood
Chris Wood Light ltd
Project Manager
Tzuyu Yu Lui
Hu's Art
Design Consultant
Joseph Kim
Freelance
PA
Kirsten Lavers
Chris Wood Light ltd
Production/ Installation
James --*
SMS Glass Co. Ltd.
Art Consultant
Charles Dung
Hu's Art
Overview
Commissioned by Hu’s Art for the government funded National Convention and Exhibition Center in Taipei. ‘Light Wall’ transforms sunlight into a dazzling display of vibrant colour, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the constantly changing magic of light. This installation consists of over 2500 dichroic glass fins positioned around 3 sides of the perimeter of the top floor.
The dichroic transforms light entering the building, bathing the interiors in an ever changing array of coloured patterns of light. The surrounding mountainous landscape is drawn attention to by the fragmented reflections captured in the glass fins. ‘Light Wall’ emerged from research into the trading history and the current digital technology in the Nangang area.
In 2022 ‘Light Wall’ was awarded Best in Creativity at the Ministry of Cultures 8th Public art awards in Taiwan.
Materials: Dichroic Glass & Sunlight
Dimensions: 344 linear metres around 3 sides of the top floor of the building
Goals
Internationally renowned light artist, Chris Wood, was briefed with creating an artwork that responds to the function of the building and the history of the local area. A candle lit red lantern, which was found in the site office on the new development, ignited the narrative for this design concept. Red Lantern’s are a symbol of booming life and prosperous business in Taiwanese culture. In reference to the digital technology of the area the binary code for 'red lantern’ was translated into the languages of Taiwan's main trading partners. This determined the position and angle of each fin, wrapping the perimeter in the concept of mutual prosperity. The top row above the main entrance reads “Welcome” in binary of Chinese Traditional language.
Process
Light Wall was the artist’s most ambitious and longest running project to date, having taken 3 years to complete.
Any artwork integrated into a building requires close consultation with all involved. The artist worked closely with the construction team, architect and local glass fabricator to elegantly embed her vision into the very fabric of the building.
Back in the UK, the team worked closely with architect Joseph Kim on the translation of the code and the incredibly complex fit. As the angle and spacing of the fins was a critical element of the binary message, it all had to perfectly fit within the architecture of the space. There were times when relatively small changes to the building had a major impact on the design.
Additional Information
“After 3 years working on this project, I will forever remember the second visit to supervise the installation. It was breathtaking to see my work on this scale, it was everything I hoped it would be. This project was the highlight of my 30 year career as an artist.”- Chris Wood