Ding Yi's "Light Tower" Leads Public Art Celebration

  As the warm sunshine of early summer intensifies, Yangpu Riverside welcomes the 21st new commissioned public art piece——artist Ding Yi's sculpture "Light Tower." This work, specially commissioned by the Art Pioneer Studio, grandly unveiled on May 19th at 4 PM at the Minghua Sugar Factory Green Space along Yangpu Riverside in Shanghai!

?APS, SHANGHAI

"Light Tower" by Ding Yi

Minghua Sugar Factory Green Space

?APS

  "Light Tower" consists of six interlocking concrete "boxes," with Ding Yi's signature cross-shaped blocks extracted from various cubes and repositioned onto different surfaces of the tower. The hollowed sections serve as light inlets, creating diverse light and shadow patterns that intersect across different faces of the tower.

   

  "Light Tower" embodies the concept of "maximizing utility" in its form. Each cut block is reintegrated into the tower, creating an interplay between the exterior shape and the concave and convex inner walls. The concept of the work is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic architecture"theory, emphasizing a design method that organically generates and maintains overall unity in its conceptual execution.

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Mr. Liang Shaoji signed at  the Inauguration ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

Inauguration site, Minghua Sugar Factory green space  ?APS

  The 20th-century sculptor Henry Spencer Moore once said, "Any sculptor hopes that their work will be appreciated by the public. Because of this, they wish for their work to be placed in an environment that suits it... The sky is the best background for a sculpture because it contrasts the sculpture with the surrounding space."

  Public sculpture, as a tangible form of public art, enters urban spaces, signifying that sculpture is no longer merely a construction and depiction of the artist's personal life. It has evolved into a cultural practice with significant "publicness." Sculpture has moved from the "white box" to the outdoors, becoming part of public experiential space. This shift transcends mere artistic expression and demonstrates a more serious and profound sense of reality, achieving a co-creative practice between people and the environment.

  Ding Yi extends a simple, intersecting symbol from a two-dimensional canvas to urban public space, reflecting the artist's deep contemplation of urban development and humanistic care. His unique design heralds a new cultural height for Yangpu Riverside!

the exhibition "Crisscrosses: Ding Yi's Public Art for Twenty Years" ?APS

  Compared to his highly condensed and sensorially abstract paintings, Ding Yi's public art practice is more straightforward and responsive, demonstrating deeper reflections on social humanity and urban development. Amid the wave of urban renewal, Ding Yi's works not only reshape the public's perception of form and order, the finite and infinite, and the self and the external world but also inspire us to seek a sense of belonging and emotional resonance in a rapidly changing world.

  At the same time, the exhibition "City Walk,  Art Walk: A Retrospective of Public Artworks in Shanghai" also kicks off on May 19! This exhibition will take the audience on a journey through time, revisiting significant public art pieces from Yangpu Riverside over the years. It showcases how Yangpu Riverside tells its story through cultural art, enhances regional cohesion, and highlights the tireless efforts and achievements of Yangpu District in promoting urban cultural development.

  The power of art lies in its ability to reflect society from a creative perspective, lead change, and build a vibrant and harmonious cultural ecosystem. Ding Yi's new sculpture and exhibition allow us to collectively envision the potential influence and forward-looking role of public art in shaping future urban development. These activities vividly showcase the immense potential for the sustainable development of public art, strengthening the connection between art, the audience, and social life. They enrich the cultural life of citizens, elevate the cultural stature of Yangpu Riverside, and further support Shanghai's journey toward becoming an international cultural metropolis!

City Walk,  Art Walk: A Retrospective of Public Artworks in Shanghai

May 19 - 26, 2024

Artist

   Ding Yi

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Ding Yi was born in Shanghai in 1962, where he still currently resides. He is one of the representative figures of Chinese contemporary abstract art, working primarily with “+” and its variant “x” as formal visual signals. Ding Yi has exhibited extensively at various institutions and galleries: The British Museum; Power Station of Art (Shanghai); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York/Bilbao); Centre Pompidou (Paris); Museo Nazionale Delle Arti Del XXI Secolo MAXXI (Rome); Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing)--among many others. His works have also been included in 45th Venice Biennale, The First Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, and the Yokohama 2001 International Triennale of Contemporary Art. His solo exhibitions as of recent were held in the Ningbo Museum of Art and Huamao Museum of Art Education (Ningbo), the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, the TAG Art Museum (Qingdao), the Jebum-gang Art Center (Lhasa), the Long Museum (Chongqing/Shanghai), Galería RGR (Mexico City), Galerie Karsten Greve (Cologne/Paris/St.Moritz), the Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou), Xi’an Art Museum, and the Hubei Museum of Art (Wuhan).

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全新地标闪耀杨浦滨江，携手艺术家丁乙即将呈现委任定制公共艺术作品

Upcoming Public Artwork from Ding Yi in Yangpu Reiverside

APSMUSEUM is a non-profit art space founded by Art Pioneer Studio and its founder, Ms. Robin Wong. With focuses on contemporary art, architecture, design, fashion, and other creative fields, the APSMUSEUM aims to discover, build, and integrate these areas of interest into a “space” of possibilities. The APSMUSEUM attempts to extend diverse public cultural spaces that bring together art, architecture, and design, a venue of cultural consumption of art and fashion, a psychological space that addresses man and social culture. APSMUSEUM is located in the L+Mall of Lujiazui, Shanghai. The renowned Italian design firm, Stefano Boeri Achitetti, executes its interior design consisting of APSPACE for exhibition, APSTORE for art and design shop, and APSALON for meetings. APSMUSEUM aims to create an unconventional exhibition space that brings art and culture to a vibrant retail concept.

About Art Pioneer Studio

Art Pioneer Studio collaborates with internationally-renowned artists, designers and architects both at home and from abraod. Our team is committed to planning, designing and executing customized artworks for the interior and outdoor spaces of cities. We are dedicated to enhance the artistic atmosphere in urban space and build an extraordinary public art space with outstanding creativity. 

APS constantly explores the possibilities of architecture and art and aims to establish a connection between artworks and the environment in which they are situated. We provide extensive curatorial and supervisional service for public urban space, luxury hotels, Grade A office buildings, indoor and outdoor spaces in shopping malls and residential buildings, and art season projects. We seek dialogue between art and other disciplines, organize and promote international interdisciplinary collaboration, especially in the field of architecture and art. We are enthusiastic about organizing cross-border cooperation, in which architects and artists can collaborate and create customized top-grade public artworks.

APS has collaborated with over one hundred artists from various countries and regions from the world, and was entrusted by Shanghai and Yangpu District People‘s Government to plan and execute 2019 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season (SUSAS 2019). Our team infused new energy into the local area by implementing public artworks by more than twenty internationally renowned artists, such as Liu Jianhua, Richard Wilson, Esther Stocker, Yusuke Asai, Oscar Oiwa, Felice Varini, Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Song Dong, etc. Meanwhile, APS has served as a consultant overseeing the process of art planning & supervision in several real estate projects, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Bright Group, Lujiazui Group and the government.

The Art to be continued…