“Floating gems” Lua Rivera
Materials: metal and fabric
Size: 11m(L)x6m(W)x3.5m(H)
Year: 2021
Location: Kinmen Island, Taiwan
DATE: October 1st 2021 to October. 1st 2023
“Floating gems” is an outdoor light installation made with woven fabric and metal. The inspiration in this piece is the study of crystal formations.
“As these crystals grow to reach the ground level, they seem to levitate on the air above the grass while irradiating light through their structures, fragmenting the surroundings. There are five requirements for crystals to form: mineral ingredients, temperature, pressure from the tectonic plates, time, and space”, says Lua Rivera.
The artist is very sensitive to environmental and social dynamics. This work is a metaphor for what happens in Kinmen. The Island has suffered many changes during the human timeline. The politics and social pressure at this border of Taiwan and China are strong. The collision of the two countries is boiling and cooling down by the year, transforming people’s perspectives. Power dynamics affect the daily lives of the inhabitants and their future prospects. Arriving immigrants risk their lives swimming to cross the border, looking for new possibilities on Taiwanese soil.
“Their mentality changes after arriving and living in Taiwan for a while. It is always a shock until it becomes a pure, clear state of mind. It is the same process that the minerals pass through to become crystals.” Lua’s colourful crystals, in their multiple concretions, thus becomes a symbol of hope.
Yee Chain International Co donates the fabric that has been repurposed in the artwork.
BIO
Lua Rivera makes art to erase the boundaries between disciplines, promoting a free interaction between them and allowing the exhibition to transcend the gallery’s walls. Lua based her artwork on processes such as nesting, growth and adaptation of organisms. As a visual artist, she stands out for her continuous search and multidisciplinary resources such as installation, collage, photography and textiles.
The 2021 Kinmen Ocean Art Festival is now open to the public in Lieyu Township.
The Art Festival will be held in October with various activities to highlight local culture and different sightseeing options in the rural township of Kinmen County. A route connects a series of land art creations built near scenic spots in town. The exhibition brings together land artists working in close relation with the specific landscape and environment of Kinmen County and using natural, local or recycled materials. The 2021 edition presents 18 works, monumental site-specific projects, small-scale sculptures, and video art pieces. The proposed works incorporate local culture to raise environmental awareness.
