The River Book | Atelier YokYok

The River Book is an installation designed for the city of Jiaxing. The Jiaxing government asked to the studio to think about an artwork that could take place in a new linear pedestrian park along one of the nine rivers of the city.

This artwork will be exhibited during two years from March 2021 to March 2023 in the Changqiantang park in Jiaxing city, China.

The challenge was to create an artwork that could last two years in the park, but also that stimulates people’s imagination and talks in an abstract way about the history of Jiaxing. YokYok wanted to use uncommon materials in order to awaken people’s senses and to play with geographical data in order to generate a meaningful and original volume for a unique pavilion.

The River Book is a volumetric interpretation of the geography and the history of the city. The map of the 9 rivers, taken as a starting point, is raised in the air and merged to the ground. It results in a dancing swirl appealing the visitor to come closer.

The materiality of the object consists in overlapping different layers of transparent screens made of tense elastic ropes. These wide waving strips evoke the silk and textile industry heritage of Jiaxing and the Grand Canal.

As getting closer the visitor can experience the installation in multiple sensitive ways (the sight, the touch, the hearing). One can enter and penetrate the hidden spaces within the installation and disappear progressively. Various openings let the visitor find their way through the pages, as an exploration throughout Jiaxing’s history.

This unique project has been designed by YokYok exclusively by distance in these pandemic times. These particular conditions made the process not necessarily easier but certainly more ecologic by saving a few plane trips. All the production has been assumed by Zin production and SHEY engineers in China following the plans provided by YokYok. From Paris, YokYok worked with models and 3D parametric simulations in order to generate the plans and measurements required to realize the installation. Parametric software allows to adjust the spacing and quantity of ropes in order to optimize the efforts and wind permeability crucial for storm seasons.

The result is an original and light installation that can be passed through. Sun, lights and wind play with the colors and vibrations of the ropes bringing the skin to life.

Artwork by: YokYok
Organized by: Jiaxing Government China Curated by: Zin Productions
Realisation structure: SHEY
Engineering: Milae ingénieurs & SHEY
all photos courtesy of Atelier YokYok / credit XiongMan