Bronze Award 2024 Shining Shanghai - The Soul's Fairest Blossom Original

The work’s title is a tribute to Henry Ward Beecher's words: "Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." Complemented by Cicero's reflection, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but also the parent of all others," the concept becomes a motif throughout the presentation, highlighting that gratitude is a luminous journey in continuous evolution and improvement.

This video mapping work uses the building as a canvas to illustrate various lighting techniques that have marked art history, creating a visual journey synthesis.

"The Soul's Fairest Blossom" uses light as a metaphor to explore different aspects of gratitude, with each lighting technique associated with a specific dimension of this profoundly human state.

• ● Sunlight: Inspired by the works of J.M.W. Turner, known for his dramatic and luminous landscapes, sunlight represents gratitude for nature and the universe, an appreciation of the beauty and magnitude of the world we live in.

• ● Light reflection: Inspired by Gustav Klimt, particularly his use of gold, this symbolizes gratitude for personal relationships and the bright moments we share with others.

• ● Diffused light: Utilizing techniques similar to those of Edgar Degas, known for capturing intimate ballet scenes in diffused lighting, this light evokes gratitude for moments of quiet and inner peace, for personal spaces of reflection and rest.

• ● Chiaroscuro: Inspired by Rembrandt and Caravaggio, this technique highlights emotional depth and human complexity, symbolizing gratitude for life experiences that have shaped us.

• ● Artificial light: Reflecting the ideas of Georges de La Tour, who often painted with candlelight, this represents gratitude for technological progress and innovation, for the lights that have allowed us to continue our activities after sunset.

• ● Transfigurative light: Associated with the works of Fra Angelico, who used light to impart a divine and mystical dimension to religious scenes, this illustrates gratitude for spirituality and the transcendental aspects of existence.

"The Soul's Fairest Blossom" aims to highlight how gratitude in its various forms can illuminate and transform the human experience, bringing brightness and warmth into our lives.