The temporary installation designed by Sordo Madaleno and WUA Studio analyses the history of these emblematic vessels, covering stages ranging from their construction to their use in sports competitions and maintenance on each of the floors of the building.
The project translates these stages into a visual language that invites the visitor to experience sensations and optical illusions through the use of light and reflections. “Flying Boats” establishes a dialogue between the past and the present, generating a space that combines history, symbolism and emotion.
Flying Boats by Sordo Madaleno + WUA Studio. Photograph by Tian Fangfang (田方方).
Project description by Sordo Madaleno + WUA Studio
Flying Boats is a cultural installation that weaves together art and architecture to reinterpret the traditions and symbols of China’s rural villages. This work is part of ‘Art at Qiaoshan - Art Field Nanhai’, a cultural programme organised by the Nanhai district in Foshan, Guangdong Province, which covers eight traditional villages. This ambitious project brings together hundreds of artists, architects and creatives from 15 countries who have designed 73 temporary installations that translate the history, traditions, pride and even historical rivalries of these communities.
In the current edition, the central theme is ‘be like water’, and Sordo Madaleno, in collaboration with WUA Studio, was honoured to be selected with his proposal ‘Flying Boats’, located in Nanhai, Guangdong.
The Concept Behind ‘Flying Boats’
The design is inspired by the iconic dragon boats race, whose symbolism and tradition is deeply rooted in the local culture. These boats, displayed in a pre-existing building that once housed silk production, served as the conceptual starting point for this work.
"The pre-existence and memory of an object or place holds the accumulated wisdom of generations. Understanding the reasons that gave rise to these boats and this space was essential to respect and reinterpret their history, especially under the central theme of water."
Fernando Sordo Madaleno, Sordo Madaleno Partner.
An Emotional and Symbolic Journey
The multiple uses of dragon boats, their craftsmanship, their maintenance and, above all, the powerful emotional charge they represent were analysed. The life of a dragon boat can be divided into three main stages:
1. Maintenance: During long periods of inactivity, the boats ‘sleep’ underwater, a traditional process that protects the wood and prolongs their life.
2. The break: Moments before the competition, when the boats float calmly, waiting for their turn.
3. The competition: Teams of rowers challenge each other’s speed in canals during festivals, creating the impression that the boats are ‘flying’ over the water.
The Flying Boats installation translates these three stages into a visual language that invites the visitor to experience sensations and optical illusions through the use of light and reflections on each level of the building:
- Ground floor: An enclosed space that simulates being underwater, evoking the stage of maintenance and rest.
- First level: The sensation of floating on water, reflecting the pre-competition break.
- Second level: A suspended space that recreates the speed and dynamism of the boats in full race, in contrast to the nature outside.
With ‘Flying Boats‘, Sordo Madaleno + WUA Studio not only pays homage to the rich tradition of dragon boats, but also establishes a dialogue between past and present, creating a space that combines history, symbolism and emotion.
