Urban Blinds

Art Installation Project
University of Hong Kong

Design Team: Eric Lo, Shirley Woo, Josephine Sham

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Gross Floor Area: 15 m²

Status: Disassembled after exhibition in 2012

The Urban Blinds installation seeks to transform the experience of pedestrian movement along the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade Waterfront Podium Garden by reproducing the natural view of Victoria Harbour. As park visitors pass by the precisely angled blinds that make up the curving wall, the harbour view is obscured, leaving only a small visual aperture which follows them on their journey. The degree of openness of the louver wall changes dynamically as one moves along, resulting in an ambiguous presence or absence of the wall as well as the harbour. This variance in transparency to opacity takes the form of an undulating wave. By looking through the dynamic wave of twisted louvers, a complex relationship between the position of one’s body, the speed of movement and one’s exposure to view is revealed. The screen offers a unique visual and haptic experience to each visitor.