EPHEMERA

Art Installation and lounge design by ESKYIU commissioned by Swire Properties for Art Basel Hong Kong 2015.

Ephemera is an installation inspired by the work of Walter Benjamin, a cultural critic who wrote about the Parisian arcades that were constructed at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Benjamin linked the public arcades to the city’s distinctive identity, interpreting the iron and glass structures as providing the quintessential habitat for the modern observer of urban life, the flâneur.

This installation takes the formal gesture of the arcade as a starting point, with the structurally interlaced archways providing a place for the public to gather. Designed as a set of spatial relationships, fixed perspectival views are precisely aligned to create the underlying geometry for the vibrant and transitory space. The interplay of the movement and activity of the spectator is further enhanced by an interactive component that exists in a constant state of fluctuation. Visitors are invited to create an artwork by capturing their own motion, which is then recorded as unique “ephemera” – collectible items of fleeting moments within the environment of the physical installation. Acting as an abstracted contemporary arcade, Ephemera provides multiple ways of inhabiting the space, oscillating between clarity and complexity as the spectator moves in, around, and through the piece.

The lounge is part of the Swire’s overall programme of arts events taking place against the inspirational backdrop of Art Basel. Swire Properties collaborated with Liberatum, an international multidisciplinary cultural brand, to produce the short film Artistry and Technology, which promotes dialogues in art and technology. The film features some of the most outstanding minds from the worlds of art, film and architecture, including Francis Ford Coppola, David Hockney, Pritzker prize winning architect Frank Gehry and Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, who shared her successful career at a salon talk at Swire Properties’ corporate lounge on 14 March. The film premiered at Swire Properties’ opening.

The space also hosted several cultural events including film screenings and talks on the future of art and culture, digital design and craft.

Featured Reviews:

Press Release Details here.

“ESKYIU reveal new abstract arcade for Art Basel Hong Kong”, ARCHITECTURE, Wallpaper*. Online article here.

“ESKYIU designs ephemera arcade for Swire properties at Art Basel Hong Kong”, Designboom. Online article here.

“Architecture of Ephemera” , indesignLive. Online article here.

Featured in Wanderlister’s Top 10 Art Basel must sees. More here.

Film of Installation:

Details here.

Stay Connected:

Facebook: ESKYIU

Instagram: @swire_ephemera and @ESKYIU

Project Details:

Location: Level 1 Concourse, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Expo Drive, Wan Chai, HK.

Date: March 13th -17th 2015

Acknowledgement:
Design Principals: Eric Schuldenfrei and Marisa Yiu; Project and Design Team: Donncha O’Brien, Anthony Chu.