Third Dimension
‘The Endless Realm’ exhibition in Shanghai explores the story of CINDY CHAO, THE ART JEWEL and the contemporary Taiwannese high jeweller’s philosophy and artistic essence since the brand’s establishment in 2004. françois oosthuizen takes a virtual walk-th
AMaison that is a fusion between East and West, and where the worlds of art and high jewellery collide, Cindy Chao, The Art Jewel always dares to be different. With ‘The Endless Realm’ – a unique artistic collaboration between the high jewellery designer and celebrated Dutch exhibition artist Tom Postma – the duo presents a universe of creation; a journey into the third dimension of time and space of Cindy Chao’s creative mastermind.
The experience and story flows through the three-storey Shanghai Bund Fosun Art Center, where the two artists explore the connection between macro-architecture and art through an articulation of space, various messages, and experiences in ‘an endless realm’ of continuous exploration.
The first floor, ‘Inspiration Initiation’, is a space that unveils like an opened, enlarged scroll surrounded by layers of original design sketches. Nature has long been at the center of Eastern philosophy – and also happens to be Cindy Chao’s favourite muse. The ancient art of Chinese landscape painting, shan shui, was born in the 3rd Century, whilst in the West it was not until the Renaissance period of the 15th Century that nature took center stage.
Here, Cindy’s high jewellery gouache sketches are projected in a wall art installation. Layers of canvas, backlit by LEDS, create an immersion into a jewellery landscape. With contrasting lights and shadows, viewers glimpse into the world of colour and images that flash through the artist’s mind – the originality and authenticity of each masterpiece in its initial birth stage.
In the blackness of obscurity, the infinity of time and space merge into a three-dimensional artistic installation and sensorial experience. ‘The Land of Art’ is the fountain of inspiration of the artist, and the heart and universe of her masterpiece art jewel creations.
With this vision, Tom Postma’s team overcame multiple obstacles to transform the second floor into Cindy’s creative universe. The space itself was fully darkened, limiting one’s ability to see clearly. The floors, walls, and the structures were lined entirely with black molten fabric, creating the unfathomable sensation of being lost in space with no top, bottom, or sides.
Several tons of water were flooded into the room for the floor, and a secondary pool of space was constructed and lined with mirrors to appear bottomless – creating the perception of a being in an abyss of a vast open sea. The atmosphere of a starry night sky was then recreated, the positioning of each light spot calculated carefully, pulsating and flashing like the tempo of a beating heart.
In the center of the room lies a semi-transparent pavilion, ‘floating’ on water. This room-within-a-room is the vault and sky. With a bridge over the water, the viewer walks over to enter this intimate universe of Cindy’s creative soul and mind.
Within this pavilion is housed 20 of Cindy Chao’s iconic Black Masterpieces – the most prestigious and exclusive of
“LIFE IS INFINITE, OUR PASSAGE ON EARTH IS FINITE BUT OUR SOUL AND LEGACY LAST FOREVER” – CINDY CHAO
her creations. A mystical forest was constructed to highlight the strength, the organic and sculptural charisma of these masterpieces in branch-like showcases. The special design is enhanced with a lighting system that makes the jewellery seem afloat, as the walls lined with mirror foils reflect each other to create an infinitive and endless effect within the space.
The sensorial experience is enhanced with speakers hidden within the surrounding walls, incorporating the sound of wind and water. The room then emits the smell of grass after it has rained to complete the artistic immersion and bring the viewer into a whole new dimension of time and space.
On the third floor, “Endless exploration” witnesses the art history of Cindy Chao, The Art Jewel since its establishment, including the world’s three major museum inductions, auctions and art fair highlights. Moreover, it unveils an intimate and exclusive behind-the-scenes peek of the jewellery craftsmanship and production processes.
The journey ends in a display room filled with dozens of high-end art jewel works of the brand’s White Label Collection, including the four seasons series, ribbon series, garden series, rose series, architecture series, castle series and dragonfly series for visitors to discover the architectural, sculptural and organic character that lies in the soul of each art jewel masterpiece.
As the granddaughter of an architect and the daughter of a sculptor, Cindy’s heritage as a third-generation artist brings a unique three-dimensional architectural and sculptural artistic vision into her art. And the ‘The Endless Realm’ is a rare insight into the heart and soul of her creative brilliance.