Ladder Bamboo Installation Venice Biennale

This installation demonstrates a very unusual bamboo construction technique which is unique to Hong Kong. Made up of 500 bamboo ladders tied together with traditional hand knotting technique, it resembles the solidity of a Chinese Fortress.

The organic bamboo and the manual knots make each jointure different, yet when repeated in an orderly way, results in a clear system of organization. The layers of ladders result in a visually complex yet controlled composition. A gap which serves as an entrance splits the structure in 2, weakening the lateral forces of each side.

30 red neon tubes, representing the 30 days in a Lunar month, encased in clear acrylic tubes, act as the structural tie beams to pull the 2 sides together. A floor of red mirror reflects and duplicates the structure downwards. The black lacquered bamboo represents Hong Kong Heritage, and the red neon and mirror represents our city’s vibrancy and energy.