Shining sounds

In their work Handle Me, artist duo Bao Yang and Liu Wa also try to add more dimension to the show with music and sound.

The 24-karat gold-plated sound installation will be placed in a soundproof glass chamber while sound waves drive the subwoofer to pulse like a beating heart. It will play two songs written by Bao and sung by Liu Wa.

Bao says the vibrations created by sound waves are to remind people of the sound of nature, which is generated by chance and beyond the expectations of people.

"It is exuberant with solemnity and timeless charm," he says.

Inspired by the booming street culture and hip-hop music of New York City, the duo hopes to add another dimension to the audience's experience at the exhibition with the introduction of sound to express a sense of futurism, the comfort of metropolitan life and the power of youth culture while retaining the grace and beauty of Dior.

Collaborating with a luxury brand on an art project is not unfamiliar to some in the show, including Liu Jianhua who began working with Dior in 2008. Still, such experiences have kept generating new impulses and ideas.

Zhang Ding says the collaboration is a challenge for him, like an architect renovating a portable space. He mentions it in his work Untitled, the idea of which was derived from the iconic Lady Dior handbag.

"After analyzing the bag, I divided its structure into 846 parts and re-created the bag, … to become a miniature piece of architecture, a space that can be reconstructed and renovated."