The Folds of Mount Kebnekaise: PeakPerformance Public Art Project
In 2022, the first Chinese branch of the Northern Europe professional outdoor brand Peak Performance settled in Sanlitun. UCCA Lab specially invited Swedish artist Jesper Nyrén, architect Zigeng Wang, and PILLS studio to create a public art installation with an enclosure form for the first branch of Peak Performance in China. This device referred to Jesper Nyrén's painting “Untitled (Fold III)” as the prototype, in which the artist used “origami” as a clue, creating a three-dimensional illusion in a two-dimensional plane. A combination of color and shape, such as “crease” lines, seems to outline an abstract landscape overlooking the mountains. This installation intends to transform the illusion from the painting to the undulations in a physical space. Meanwhile, it serves as an abstract interpretation of the Peak Performance brand's genes related to mountains. The design scheme extracts the triangular elements in the painting and combines them with the geometric features of the brand logo to create a flat mesh frame. Then, inspired by the Swedish peak “Mount Kebnekaise” , the plane is transformed into a three-dimensional triangular collage, highlighting the shape of the “mountain” . PILLS chose the main colors for filling the triangular surface from the Peak Performance 2022 Autumn/Winter color card. The surface is also overlaid with different brightness obtained from computer sunlight simulations, ultimately forming a visual effect of the “mountain” with sunny and shady sides. At the same time, the triangular collage design around the enclosure cleverly incorporated the brand logo, showcasing its brand history originating from high mountains. On the surface of this installation, we applied hand-painted linen material to convey a soft and warm visual experience to the audience, meanwhile advertising the safety guaranteed by Peak Performance clothing for outdoor sports. Furthermore, we added a down jacket appearance and quilted line elements to make the previously sharp triangles soft and curved. This design formed powerful contradictions with the conventional straight lines and hard materials in urban architecture. The artworks created by Jespe Nielen and Zigeng Wang blend the sculptural sense of mechanical carving with the emotional warmth of humanism. They are like the Scandinavian genes of Peak Performance, which blends professional outdoor functions with Nordic aesthetics, delivering an experience that breaks through the inherent visual framework to the audience in public spaces.
Project Information Project Type: Public Art Installation Project Location: Sanlitun, Beijing Principal: Peak Performance, UCCA Lab Curator: Jing Cheng Host Designer: Zigeng Wang Design Team: Yuxin Tian, Tianqi Wang Technical Manager: Xuan Liu Construction: Beijing Witson Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
