MAD Architects and WAY Studio have collaborated on the creation of immersive exhibition “Shui-Yun-Shan” (Water-Cloud-Mountain) as part of BMW’s X7 and 8 series concept car tour in the imperial heart of Beijing. From the exhibition space, the Imperial Palace, hutongs, courtyards, dancing trees are all within sight, all important representations of old Beijing, a reminder of “nature being the highest level of luxury”. The exhibition is set-up somewhat like a traditional courtyard, embedded within its limited space; elements of nature are recreated at a much smaller scale. Drawing from the same energy as the two newest concepts of BMW’s X7 and 8 series, the balance between tradition and technology, the designers drew upon the famous Shanshui painting “QianLiJiangShanTu” (A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains) to create the backdrop for these two cars in Beijing. The painting is exploded into space, where visitors are allowed to weave through its layers. Time and space are being pulled apart and stilled, bringing its visitors away from reality, dropped into the painting to reflect upon the basic, back to the origin, while falling into the abyss of limitless imagination. The shifts and plays in the dancing shadow and lights veils the entire exhibition in a mysterious mist, blurring the edges, blurring distances, bringing the visitors into a separate dimension and into the midst of this traditional Shanshui painting.
.
Entering the exhibition, visitors are launched right into this separate dimension, distanced from reality, and into this mysterious, imaginative space. Following the meandering path, greeted with dancing lights reflected off crystal palettes, like mountain, like clouds, and somewhat like water; the two concept cars are unveiled bit by bit through the wandering movements of its visitors. Moving between the layers, views shift, lights shine, reflect, bounce, and dance on separate surfaces. Black, white, transparent, reflective, the most basic of colors act as a canvas painted with light imitating nature. These mountain, cloud and water palettes are constructed with modern materials laced with intricate textures, mimicking the way light plays in and through nature, recreating, extracting and finally balancing a portion of nature with now (modern/future). Immersing the visitors in this moment of time separation plays out the core idea within the exhibition - experiencing you within me, me within you simultaneously.
.
The exhibition is currently open to the public, from 7th May, 2018 till 18th June, 2018
