"Ma Yansong: The Flowing Earth" Exhibition Exhibition Dates: January 19, 2024 - April 7, 2024 Venue: HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong This exhibition presents a collection of works from Ma Yansong and MAD, showcasing their approach to fluid, organic forms that bridge nature, culture, and the built environment. Visitors will explore architectural projects and installations that reflect the firm’s philosophy of blending human experience with the natural world. The exhibition brings together Ma Yansong’s vision for a harmonious, evolving relationship between architecture and nature, as well as his exploration of dynamic, flowing forms.

"Ma Yansong: The Flowing Earth"
Exhibition Dates: January 19, 2024 - April 7, 2024
Venue: HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong

As MAD' first major exhibition in Hong Kong, "Ma Yansong: The Flowing Earth" showcases over twenty architectural practices, research projects, and art installations. The exhibition explores MAD's ongoing pursuit to connect architecture with broader cultural narratives, offering visitors a chance to reflect on the inner relationship between cities, culture, and the self. Through this exploration, the public is invited to witness dynamic, diverse, and fluid cultural landscapes that define contemporary society.

The exhibition delves into MAD’s design philosophy—an approach that merges natural elements with the built environment to provoke thought on how urban landscapes can engage with human experiences.

During the opening lecture of the exhibition, Ma Yansong remarked:

"Architecture and cities carry certain characteristics of life, which is why they are full of energy, fluidity, dynamic and uncertain. Architecture is alive, growing with the earth, possessing life, full of emotions, perceiving the world, and understanding all things."

This statement encapsulates Ma's belief in architecture's ability to connect deeply with the environment and people, emphasizing its role as an organic and living entity that is intertwined with nature and human experience.

The first-floor exhibition space showcased 13 projects, including the Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza, Quzhou Sports Park, Chongqing Cuntan International Cruise Center, Lecheng Siheyuan Kindergarten, and the Monroe Building, among others. Through these public architecture projects, MAD demonstrated its beliefs and explorations of urban public spaces. The exhibition also delved into the theme of urban renewal, prompting reflection on questions such as, "How can old buildings be revived?" and "Is it the history of industry or of people?"

These works highlight MAD's continuous investigation into how architecture can breathe new life into existing urban environments, while also addressing the challenges of preserving historical heritage and integrating it with modern needs.

"Ark - Shanghai Zhangjiang Cement Factory 10,000-meter Warehouse Transformation"

The second floor of the exhibition features a range of projects, including the FENIX Immigration Museum, Lucas Narrative Art Museum, Tencent Shenzhen Headquarters "Cloud" Tower, Floating Earth, and Tunnel of Light, among 11 other works. These projects explore how design can transcend the physical realm and evoke a sense of spirit within the context of real-world cities. Each work presents innovative ways of combining functional urban spaces with metaphysical and artistic experiences, blurring the lines between architecture, culture, and the human experience.

Key Projects Displayed:

• FENIX Immigration Museum - A transformation of the historic Fenix warehouse into a space that connects historical immigration narratives with contemporary design.
• Lucas Narrative Art Museum - An exploration of how narrative-driven architecture can create immersive, emotionally evocative spaces.
• Tencent Shenzhen Headquarters "Cloud" Tower - A visionary design that embodies the futuristic digital world while blending seamlessly with the natural environment.
• Floating Earth - An experimental space that blends nature and human activity in a way that challenges traditional boundaries and forms.
• Tunnel of Light - A conceptual design focused on how light and space interact to shape human experiences and emotional connections.

These projects reflect MAD Architects' exploration of architecture as an experiential and spiritual art form, where spaces not only serve practical purposes but also evoke deeper emotional responses from their occupants.

腾讯深圳总部“云”楼

The Lucas Narrative Art Museum is another featured project in the exhibition, showcasing MAD Architects’ approach to creating spaces that merge art, architecture, and storytelling. This museum is designed to be an immersive experience, where each exhibit narrates a unique story through dynamic and innovative architectural forms.

The design of the Lucas Narrative Art Museum focuses on the concept of movement and fluidity, symbolizing the dynamic nature of art and the process of storytelling. The architectural form draws inspiration from the rich history of narrative art and its ability to connect the past, present, and future through space.

Key features of the Lucas Narrative Art Museum include:

• Dynamic Architectural Form: The building’s design is fluid and organic, with curvilinear forms that seem to evolve and move, reflecting the storytelling essence of the museum.
• Artistic Integration: The museum integrates art directly into the architecture, with the space designed to enhance the emotional experience of visitors. It aims to dissolve the boundary between architecture and art.
• Immersive Experience: Each section of the museum is designed to take visitors on a journey, with exhibitions that flow seamlessly into one another, much like the pages of a narrative.
• Connection with Nature: The museum is designed to reflect a deep connection with the surrounding environment, creating spaces that invite visitors to interact with the art and nature around them.

The Lucas Narrative Art Museum is not just a place to display art; it is a space that embodies the narrative itself. Through its architecture, it becomes a storyteller, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the fluidity of time, space, and creativity.

The Neon Art Installation "Flowing Earth" featured in the exhibition is a vibrant, dynamic piece that represents MAD Architects' philosophy of fluidity and organic movement in architecture. The installation draws from the neon culture unique to Hong Kong and combines it with Ma Yansong’s architectural sketches. The neon tubes sculpt a fluid and dynamic architectural form, vividly representing several MAD projects such as UNIC, Harbin Grand Theatre, Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza, and Chaoyang Park Square, encapsulating the essence of these designs in a colorful, moving art form. This installation brings architecture to life, creating an organic, vivid expression of art that invites the viewer to reflect on the relationship between architecture, nature, and art.

Additionally, the "Flowing Hong Kong" art installation, designed exclusively for HKDI, abstractly represents the multifaceted nature of Hong Kong—its mountains, waters, energy, and movement. This installation symbolizes how, despite the urban nature of cities, all aspects of a city are closely tied to nature and humanity. It reflects the fusion of the natural world and the built environment, emphasizing the deep connection between human-made structures and the natural world in cities like Hong Kong.

Both installations engage the viewer by showing how architecture and art can express the fluid, ever-changing nature of cities, while also acknowledging the strong link between urban life and the natural environment.

Exhibition Information:

Title: Ma Yansong: Flowing Earth
Date: January 19, 2024 – April 7, 2024
Venue: HKDI Gallery, Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI)
Admission: Free

Organizers:

• Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI)
• MAD

Co-organizers:

• Contemporary Art and Urban Planning Museum
• MAD

Exhibiting Artists:

• Ma Yansong
  -党群 (Dang Qun)
  -早野洋介 (Haruo Asano)

Exhibition Team:

• Zheng Chengwen
• Huang Juntao
• Zhang Zhonglin
• Li Ran
• Xue Teng
• Qi Ziying

Exhibition Production:

• Yazu Creative Ltd.

Exhibition Setup:

• Beijing Tiandi Zhongxing International Trading Co., Ltd.