EVERY day people pass busy streets in a rush to get to their destinations, hardly noticing the surroundings or each other. Now, light-hearted installations created by Lucas Zanotto have brought colors, movements and fun to the PAFC Mall in central Futian, drawing people in and encouraging them to stay a while.

The installations are simple loops and balls in nostalgic pastel colors, illustrating various emotional facial expressions that cleverly bring characters to life. Short videos of the artist’s hilarious animated characters are also on show.

The reason behind the popularity of Zanotto’s works is that they speak to the importance of playfulness and the big impact that the simplest designs can have. Finding joy in small shapes and movements is a wonderful reminder that there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Born in Italy and now based in Finland, Zanotto started out as a product designer before moving into motion design, directing, building zany apps for children and most recently CG character loops.

The multifaceted artist has received many international awards that have defined his career, including the Apple Design Award, Gold at BDA Promax International, and Best Promotional Animation at the Ottawa Animation Festival. He has also teamed up with artists like KAWS, Josh Sperling and Felipe Pantone.

Dates: Until June 12

Venue: PAFC Mall, Futian District (平安金融中心商场)

Metro: Line 1 or 3 to Shopping Park Station (购物公园站), Exit C (SD News)