The exhibition "Taihu" by artist Michael Wang recently kicked off in Prada Rongzhai. He focused on the natural and cultural heritage of Taihu Lake District, while exploring the history of Chinese garden art. The exhibits of raise urgent issues related to the sustainable development of and environmental restoration around the ecological development of Taihu Lake District. The owner of Rong's house, Mr. Rong Zongjing, is from Wuxi by Taihu Lake. His life has many fates related to Shanghai and Wuxi.
Slide to view Michael Wang's "Taihu" exhibition site, Prada Rongzhai, Shanghai, 2022.11.10 – 2023.01.08, Photography: JJYPHOTO
Strolling between the exhibition halls, the work "Suzhou River (Pile)" aims to commemorate the disappearance of the Suzhou River; the fragments and debris in the "Cultural Relics" series, nuts and screws, abandoned sandals, abandoned tires and other daily necessities produced by humans, using the natural material Yixing clay, a representative natural material of Taihu Lake, to commemorate the humans who have existed by the lake; the work "Taihu (Hairy Crab)" is a fishing boat full of hairy crab models, all models are made of water algae produced in the lake; a series of sculptures similar to " Taihu stone " are shaped by sustainable new materials converted from waste in the lake through 3D scanning and milling technology; the "Shanghai Swamp" located in Rongzhai Garden reproduces the past ecosystem of this land.
The series of sculptures in the exhibition "Taihu (Taihu Stone)" benefited from cooperation with students from Shanghai Tongji University. 17 students from different majors such as architecture, industrial design, and environmental design were divided into different groups and participated in the research. students collaborated with artists to experiment with materials that Michael had studied to recreate the materials that exist in the lake. During the process, the students maintained communication with the artist and "participated" in the progress of the exhibition in another capacity. We talked with five of the students about the experience and achievements of this experiment.
Lu Wentao and Wu Yichen, from the School of Design and Creativity, showed their work "Bioplastic Self-Sowing Shoes" at the 2021 Huantongji Design Week, and put plant seeds into the soles made of Bioplastic . They participated in sustainable related research in their past learning experiences, thus realizing the urgency of environmental problems; Ren Zitong, who is from the Architecture major, is interested in the traditional Chinese spirit and the relationship between humans and nature in the "Taihu" exhibition project. These topics are often discussed in architecture; some students think from the perspective of art and modeling to better convey their concepts.
Michael Wang's "Taihu" exhibition site, Prada Rongzhai, Shanghai, 2022.11.10 – 2023.01.08, Photography: JJYPHOTO
In the 1990s, the industry in the area around Taihu Lake developed rapidly, and the large amount of agricultural and industrial waste discharged rapidly changed the chemical properties of the lake water, triggering the growth of large areas of cyanobacteria blooms , and the severely polluted lake water turned bright green. Although the Taihu area has subsequently launched intensive cleanup operations and interventions, this period of history is still an important symbol of the Taihu environment. During the investigation of , students fully understood that Taihu Lake faced ecological crises in the past, pollution caused the death of plankton, and excessive human emissions caused the eutrophication of water bodies in Taihu Lake. These problems were also reflected in subsequent thinking and design.
Michael Wang's "Taihu" exhibition site, Prada Rongzhai, Shanghai, 2022.11.10 – 2023.01.08, Photography: JJYPHOTO
The students' experimental raw materials come from biological waste in Taihu Lake. They use algae, cellulose (the most abundant biopolymer stored in the world) and chitin (the crab shell waste of hairy crabs, a famous product of Taihu Lake) as important raw materials, supplemented by other bio-based polymers and plasticizers to produce bioplastics, and use these new materials to create their own "Taihu stone" solution.
Michael Wang's "Taihu" exhibition site, Prada Rongzhai, Shanghai, 2022.11.10 – 2023.01.08, Photography: JJYPHOTO
Students said that the implementation of the experiment is like making "recipes". has these basic materials, from the initial simple combination of formulas, to the initial creative use of imagination and even incorporating daily materials for improvement and formulation, the final biological material has undergone a change. On the other hand, using waste as artistic materials also gives it new life. Bioplastics is a hot topic in current research. Degradable bioplastics can replace petrochemical raw materials to make daily necessities, reduce their dependence on oil in the future, and solve many waste disposal problems.
Nowadays, several Taihu stone sculptures distributed in the banquet hall of Rongzhai Prada. They have rich surface textures, and several of them are translucent shells, slightly exuding the colorful impurities in it. This is finally created by the artist using organic materials from Taihu Lake. The abandoned shell of famous hairy crabs in the lake provides chitin, a key ingredient in the new bioplastics. The two invasive plant species, , phoenix-eye lotus and , will be converted into cellulose fibers and incorporated into the translucent cellulose acetate . The artist uses 3D scanning and milling techniques to shape these biological raw materials into complex shapes.
Pan Jingyu's group grind the alginate and shells into fine powder, and added the mixture formed by hot water. It is used as a control experiment for other biological materials. One side is a mature art work, and the other side is an interesting and fresh experiment conducted by students from Tongji University . Wu Yichen, a major in industrial design, shared with us the difference between this experiment and the usual. "In the undergraduate study process, we mostly follow a design process to achieve accurate results. , but as an art exhibition, "Taihu" gives everyone full freedom to use their imagination and explore unknown materials. We all use a brand new way to enjoy the materials on hand."
Pan Jing After the Yu student's group grind the alginate and shells into fine powder, they added a mixture formed by hot water and used it as a control experiment for other biological materials.
In the winter of the experiment, the experiment was popular. Wu Yichen shared that the group collected a lot of orange peels, as well as leaves everywhere on campus. They broke them and added them to the biological plastic in proportion. Different proportions showed completely different effects. Less orange peels were more transparent, and more orange peels would reveal the color of the soil. Through experiments, they found that the entire process of shrinkage is a characteristic of bioplastics, which will change with time, temperature and environment. She envisioned that the process of shrinkage was displayed in the exhibition, which was a complete shape at the beginning, and the growth changes of biological materials could be observed over time.
Lu Wentao, Guo Siyu and Liu Chang's group used fishing nets and bioplastics to arrange the fishing nets layer by layer. Bioplastics were poured into sheets on the net
Lu Wentao combined fishing nets and bioplastics to create Taihu stone works. He paid attention to the important impact of fishing on Taihu Lake and its surrounding residents. Because of the need to protect the local ecology, many fishermen were prohibited from raising fish in the net. He arranged the fishing nets layer by layer, and bioplastics were poured into sheets on the fishing nets to reflect the relationship between Taihu fishery and the environment.
"Taihu" exhibition project has brought different inspiration to everyone. Pan Jingyu, who is doing algae research, also participated in other environmentally friendly materials projects. The project of reuse of carbon fiber materials she did won the first prize in the National New Materials Competition. "I would like to thank me for participating in the "Taihu" project, which made me firmly believe that my interest in biological materials is correct and meaningful." At present, Pan Jingyu is still continuing to research and create environmentally friendly materials and biological materials, considering making up for the shortcomings in knowledge through experiments, and is also continuing to complete some more in-depth designs with students majoring in chemistry and materials.
The bioplastics made by Lu Wentao, Guo Siyu and Liu Chang in the experiment were mixed with a variety of materials from Taihu waste. Li Yuxi, a professional environmental design of algae powder, crab shells, fallen leaves, etc., told us that in addition to space, "Taihu" made her hope to pay more attention to the interaction between people and the world. "When artists throw out concepts and slowly form small networks through dissemination, nature is now too far from our real life. What I want to do is to reconnect with nature. " She is currently applying for a sustainability degree from relevant universities, hoping to continue to pay attention to ecological and environmental issues in the future.
Artist and some students participating in the project at Tongji University
Hand from left to right
Liu Junguang (Architecture), Wang Zichun (Industrial Design), Guo Siyu (Industrial Design), artist Michael Wang, Shan Shuo (Visual Communication Design), Chen Oulin (Industrial Design), Lu Wentao (Industrial Design)
The cooperation process between the students and artist Michael Wang is also very pleasant. Everyone holds regular meetings once a week to discuss the next research direction. Ren Zitong still remembers that Michael said that he should not pay too much attention to whether an experiment was successful or not. No matter what it was, he could be discussed with everyone, because a failed result may lead to another successful beginning. What impressed the students most was Michael's open and positive attitude. "He is good at finding clear and refined concepts for us. No matter what kind of experimental results are, he will affirm the potential and possibility." said Wu Yichen of .
The bioplastics made by Lu Wentao, Guo Siyu and Liu Chang in the experiment were mixed with a variety of materials from Taihu waste. Algae powder, crab shells, fallen leaves and other
students created more short-term items through research, and bioplastics are more likely to biodegradable than traditional petrochemical plastics. In the future, this bioplastic may replace petrochemical materials. As Michael Wang said in the interview, "Students are developing methods to use the materials they developed to design and pour their own Taihu stones. I hope this is just the beginning of their exploration of the potential of new materials. Art, architecture and design can lead the development direction of sustainable creation at the same time."
Michael Wang's "Taihu" exhibition site, Prada Rongzhai, Shanghai, 2022.11.10 – 2023.01.08, Photography: JJYPHOTO
In the eyes of students, Prada Rongzhai is not only a building, but also a base, studying cultural, environment, animals and other humanistic issues in today's society. Through cooperation with artists, the public interacts with cutting-edge research. Prada Rongzhai is also like a connection mechanism, a source of culture and exchanges. It is set out by brands, universities and artists to connect with the public, so that the topics can be seen and discussed by more people.
Exhibition information
Michael Wang "Taihu" exhibition
November 10, 2022-January 8, 2023
Prada Rongzhai
No. 186, Shaanxi North Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai
Interview and article: lalarobot
Editor: Ziyan
Producer: Yang Chen, D.P
Picture: provided by the brand and interviewed students
Type: Ziyan
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