Cao Zhen

caozhen0806@126.com

EVERY day, Shenzheners cram into tiny elevators with several other people, spending an average of 30 seconds staring at either the floor or the walls. That’s what makes elevator art such a great idea — people have little choice but to look. Now local artists have taken advantage of this very captive audience, from creating optical illusions with installations to transforming the space into an art studio.

If you are visiting OCT-LOFT in Nanshan District, try to check out the elevators in the art complex that was once an industrial area. “Scrawl Something,” running until next year, is an art project created by 10 teams comprised of nine local design companies, nine artists and one advertisement company. The artists’ paintings, videos and installations are on display inside 10 elevators. Visitors can obtain a map of the elevators, which are scattered in OCT-LOFT’s north and south zones, at the bars, restaurants and bookstores.

Most elevator art is interactive. In Elevator A3-2, local designer Deng Yuanjian and Rito Design Company installed a steel pole in the center of the elevator which was painted pink. Titled “Please Perform, Please Appreciate It,” the work invites visitors to dance with the pole.

At the same time, security camera footage of visitors is shown inside the elevator. The work reflects the contradicting private and public features of elevators. It reminds visitors that inside the elevator, they can watch other people’s behavior while they are also being watched.

A similar interactive artwork is “Open Peanut” in Elevator E5, created by Overseas Chinese Town Media and Advertising Co. The elevator’s door contains a painting of a big pink peanut. When the door opens, visitors can see two peanut-shaped mirrors on the walls inside the elevator.

The work carries the metaphor that when the door opens and people step into an elevator, it is like opening a peanut. What do you expect to see when you are waiting for the door to open? People like plump peanut kernels. When they see themselves in the mirrors, they discover that the unique and sought-after peanut kernels are a metaphor for themselves.

“The significance of the ‘Scrawl Something’ project is to make art common and accessible in a public space,” said Gao Ming, curator of the project. Gao is the creative director of local company Brothers Design.

Another interactive artwork, “Please Take Off Your Shoes,” is in Elevator A3-1 by Sense Team and designer Bai Zhiwei. On the floor of the elevator, there is a carpet printed with the words “Please take off your shoes.” Meanwhile, a closed-circuit TV camera records visitors’ reactions upon seeing the carpet.

Bai said the response of visitors is integral to the work. “Will you take off your shoes when alone in the elevator? Or when you see other people taking off their shoes, will you follow suit? This work is aimed at researching people’s habits, judgment and group behavior in a public space,” said Bai.

Some artists use their installations to question the usage of public space. Gao’s company, together with artists Li Jinghu and “Sincere Pumpkin,” put up 16 leasing posters inside Elevator A4-2, seeking advertisements on the elevator walls.

The artists said that in some circumstances, space means wealth. “During the year-long exhibition, the artists have the right to use the elevator space. Can we exchange the space for money? The question of space applies to most Chinese who live in big cities,” said Li.

Unlike other works which don’t change elevators’ space, Elevator A5-1 creates an oppressed atmosphere. When visitors step into it, they find the elevator is so narrow that it can only hold three people. Designer Huang Xuedong and Dudo Design Company put a sliding board inside the elevator. Visitors can push the board to make the space bigger until it goes to the back wall.

Titled “Enough,” the work proposed a series of questions on people’s material demands. “How big of an apartment do you need to live in?” “How much income do you need every month?” “How much do you need to eat tonight?” and “How many girls do you need to play with you in the bar tonight?” These are the questions the artists hope visitors think about through the artwork.

Although the project tries to help the public understand contemporary art, some artworks are still very abstract and obscure.

“Some people don’t understand contemporary art. We have tried our best to select the works of outstanding artists and inviting visitors to join in. Let the visitors interact with the works and encourage them to think about the works or even invite them to take part in artwork creation. I think it will be an effective way of promoting contemporary art,” said Zhang Han, deputy manager of OCT-LOFT.

Zhang added that last year, they invited domestic artists to paint murals on the walls of the old buildings of OCT-LOFT, in an attempt to link art with the public. This year, the elevator project is also making the use of public space to display art.

Dates: Until Aug. 11, 2013

Add: OCT-LOFT, Enping Road, Nanshan District

Metro: Qiaocheng East Station (侨城东站), Exit A