The 2nd Gravitational Field, a public art program organized by GOA in collaboration with Shanghai XiBu Cultural Communications Co., Ltd., was unveiled at CITIC Square at the intersection of West Nanjing Road and North Shaanxi Road on the cool autumn night of September 23, 2016, making Shanghai look more interesting and appealing on the weekend. Following the success of the 1st Gravitational Field – Resilient Hills and Waters in 2015, GOA again joined hands with Jia Bu, an independent curator, to present a brilliant crossover of architecture and art.

Gravitational Field 2016 features a massive spatial installation consisting of two enormous, light-weighted and transparent bubbles. It looks magical and is named “City Bubbles”. It is created by GOA in collaboration with students from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University. The exhibition will be on from September 23 to October 15.

“City Bubbles”

The installation, “City Bubbles”, is composed of two transparent hemispheres of different sizes and irregular shapes. The bigger bubble is about 85 square meters, while the smaller one is 35 square meters. The highest point is nearly 6 meters above the ground. The bubbles are made of 3mm transparent and eco-friendly thermoplastic urethane (TPU). With no load-bearing structure, the two bubbles are totally dependent on a high-power blower for inflation. The design is mainly developed by Wang Yan, Chief Architect of GOA. Inside each bubble, he creates an air isolation capsule to ensure that the external appearance won’t be affected when people go in and out.  

The bubbles are completely enclosed and transparent, forming a strong contrast that enables a theatrical spatial experience. They look like two enclosed capsules located on a bustling street. However, people entering the bubbles won’t feel as isolated from the outside world as in other enclosed spaces. Instead, they will feel as if put in the spotlight. They are watched, examined and appreciated by those outside the bubbles. Such a scene reminds us of a famous quote from poet Bian Zhilin, only with a minor modification, “You appreciate sceneries from inside the bubble,while those appreciating sceneries look at you on the road.” “Transparent bubbles help to build up a theatrical effect. To some extent, each individual entering the bubbles is participating in a street show,” says Wang Yan.