Grass

Grass is inspired by the relationship between cities and people. Cities and people have two-way interactions. While the population is growing, the city is visibly expanding outward at a visible rate. Based on this concept, the work uses real-time traffic flow data combined with light and shadow changes, allowing spectators to feel the “urban sprawl”, or “life breathing” when viewing the work up close. There is a 30cm discrepancy in the process of expansion, and the visual impact of the work will impress. Grass reminds people to look back and reflect on the positive meaning of today’s rapidly expanding city and the fast-paced schedule of society and the environment. This work is unique in that it deviates from the traditional paradigm of light and shadow art presentation. It has a palpable expression, and its integration of frequently updated data makes it mimic a living organism. Light and shadow design need not be limited to colour, tone, brightness, etc., and can instead be used to emphasise natural beauty. The design team offers the public an unusual artistic experience while initiating a dialogue about the city and the environment. The work is in entirely in white to create a form analogous to organisms. Each unit above varies in size, undulation, and pattern, and is organised into a luminary. They depict major traffic routes in the same way that buildings and roads do in cities. The design team creates an analogy by tearing down a corner of life or a part of the city and placing it on the work. Each cell is a separate entity that expands with light and shadow as if it is breathing. The changing factor is the city’s traffic flow. Real-time traffic flow is converted into data and the brightness of the light and the size of the expansion changes based on regular data updates so that people can feel the pulse of the city. The internal structure is controlled by a DMX signal valve switch, while the exterior is covered with wrinkle-resistant TPR, which is typically used in industrial applications for repeated expansion and contraction. Finally, to facilitate light vignetting, the surface is covered with light-transmitting non-woven fabric. Because the work is suspended, the base must be both lightweight and sturdy. The solution was to replace wood with high-density polystyrene, which was then digitised and hardened. Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Ready to Launch | Illumination and Lighting