MARS studio's isle of light installation weaves an urban island of shifting color in shenzhen

the spiralling forms urge encounters and contemplation

At the invitation of 2023 Glow Shenzhen Organizing Committee, MARS Studio designed a vibrant set of installations to illuminate Futian District Citizen Square. Isle of Light is composed of four curved steel structures with staggered heights and ups and downs, unravelling in a spiralling semi-enclosed form. The frame intricately weaves strings into a thin and hazy display surface, forming a miniature ‘urban island’ set against the dynamic backdrop of light and shade.

In the cyclonic field of light and lines, the installation tries to explore the distance between people, urging visitors to reflect on interpersonal relations. The circular spatial layout, like a rising mist, surrounds them and resonates softly with the light. Each spiral component symbolizes a unique individual, and in their continuous circling and overlapping, they prompt encounters and exchanges between strangers and friends.

Walking Through the Valley of Light | all images courtesy of MARS Studio

mars studio enlivens the shenzhen square with light and color

MARS Studio’s design concept stems from a contemplation of how to connect strangers and facilitate communication in this fast-paced urban life. The device itself contains three levels of interaction and correlation: the first is the tacit interaction between people and the device, the second is the situational interaction between people, and the last is the subtle interaction between its form and the city.

Visitors can walk, stand, and simply observe their surroundings in its midst, engulfed in the evolving colors and rays. In the space’s interwoven with silk threads, the viewer is able to observe the intertwined images of himself and others in the same dimension and in different time and space. Here, light itself becomes the sculptor of space, its existence outlining the enclosure while infusing it with a sense of spirituality. ‘Going deep, the integration of man and light becomes an interaction and connection. We place the viewer in the dominant position of the space, immersing them in a field where the visual perception is altered by the reflections of color and light, creating a hazy island of overlapping illusions and motion,’ shares the team at MARS Studio.

Isle of Light comprises four curved steel structures with staggered heights and ups and downs

the frames unravel in a spiralling semi-enclosed form

a miniature ‘urban island’ illuminates the Futian District Citizen Square

MARS Studio unravels a cyclonic field of light and lines

each spiral prompts encounters and exchanges been strangers and friends

interwoven with silk threads engulf visitors in light and color

‘Going deep, the integration of man and light becomes an interaction and connection’

Isle of Light was created for Glow Shenzhen 2023

project info:

name: Isle of Light
designer: MARS Studio

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom