Take a trip in the light fantastic

Inspired by traditional rickshaws, Chua and her team have also set up another interactive installation in the mall's basement. Titled Rickshaw, the installation invites people to jump on it and take a ride through another engaging light show-this time on two wheels.

Taking inspiration from the statue of a rickshaw in the middle of Wangfujing's pedestrian shopping street, the art installation is a modern interpretation of the popular tourist spot. When a visitor begins to pedal, they are taken through series of images depicting the district's rich history.

"In Australia, many of our environments and colors are predictable, but in China it's a more exciting world, which contains many more unexpected colors-especially around Wangfujing. It's a district that contains many traditional Chinese buildings. I am deeply impressed by traditional Chinese architecture, especially the design of the eaves."

The design team has also collaborated with local Chinese artists. Since their focus is more on technology and innovation, for them it not so much about creating traditional artworks, but setting out to "create new artworks from a modern, Western perspective", Chua adds.

Chua says that designs for public art installations must take many factors into account, especially the number of users. For example, some of their works have attracted as many as 80,000 people, and outdoor works are also exposed to the elements-so issues such as maintenance and the duration of the work must also be taken into consideration.

For commercial projects, many artists feel limited by the confines of the retail premises. But for this project, Chua says there was sufficient room and trust on offer to explore the space fully.

"For example, in the Cocoon project, we actually designed two levels to allow people to climb into the artworks and interact with them-thanks to the trust and creative freedom the management offered us. But we do realize that the creation of an entire artwork can sometimes be a complicated process, and in these instances we look to gain the support from the commercial organizations-but it's not always possible to do so. As far as I am concerned, once our artists have set down their concepts for their work, we try to stick to these ideas as far as possible, and use our creativity to ensure they come to fruition. And even if there are practical considerations in terms of space, materials or design to take on board on occasion, it's our job to find and make compromises to overcome them," she says.

Besides the two art installations, Chua and her team also created Arches, a gate-like installation that reflects the changing fortunes of Wangfujing. Together with two more creative installations, Swing and Watercules, both tailor-made for NTP New Town Plaza in the suburban district of Fangzhuang, they aim to offer a new wave of interactive light installations to Beijing shoppers. Running until Feb 14, Chua hopes these exhibitions will continue to light up the capital into Chinese New Year and beyond.