Chinese practice MAD Architects unveils Momentum, a giant interactive installation designed for the courtyard of Statale University during Milan Design Week 2023. Momentum seeks to freeze the moment of art creation, with the simplest cube is used as a carrier to undertake different forms of art expression. Momentum, exhibited during the Salone del Mobile, hopes to evoke the solidification and refinement of time with this form.
In the daytime, Momentum’s skin reflects the surrounding environment of the courtyard of Statale University, becoming a forever-changing art form of its own. As night falls, and the installation turns transparent and ethereal, the lighting inside illuminates a new character.
Momentum is also a combination of virtual art and a physical installations. It features an AR (Augmented Reality) art experience, where viewers may experience fantastical virtual art by scanning a QR code on Instagram, and becoming a creator of their own.
During this, MAD’s fifth participation in Milan Design Week, the works brought have been accompanied by a breakthrough of boundaries and the integration of diverse arts. “With the end of the COVID pandemic, we’ve placed more consideration on communication and the interchange of multiculturalism,” MAD Architects Founder Ma Yansong tells us. Past work includes Invisible Border 2016, Fifth Ring 2018, Freedom 2021, and Dynamik Chair & Thread Chair 2022.