Layers of dream

Temporarily transformed, the Wuhan first yarn factory office building serves as the backdrop for 12 'dream rooms,' each showcasing photographic artworks that illustrate the unique characteristics of each host's homestay.

Spring onion atelier was commissioned by Meituan homestay to create the spatial design for "NO MAN IS AN ISLAND” a temporary photography exhibition in BIG house located in Wuhan. The exhibition displays twelve Meituan hosts’ home, their personal space. Spring onion atelier proposed a layered space with yarn to explore the interaction and connection between people, photography and material.

The curated theme of exhibition was inspired from British poet John Donne “ No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…” For hosts, their home are islands for dreaming. The photographer Yishu Wang visited twelve hosts’ home to capture the moment of their space, story and fantasy. Meituan commissioned spring onion atelier to create an immerse exhibition space for the different sets of photos, books, perfumes and leisure space.

Visitors are welcomed by the preserved arch of the old yarn factory to the main exhibition hall on the ground floor. The layers of yarn continues the arch opening. The different colours of yarns blend one after another, blurring out a dreamy and linear exhibition space. Walking through the arch, visitors could enter the U-shaped rooms formed by the gap of layers. Each room displays one hosts’ homestay, the room with their unique characteristics.

There are 12 "dream rooms" in the main exhibition hall. The hosts come from all over the country with different identities, professions and personalities. Each "dream room" is set up with a built-in screen, showing the photographer's photos. In the photo, the hosts are waited in with his own posture, waiting for the arrival of visitors.

Each dream room is isolated while adjacent to each other. The interaction point is marked with the latitude and longitude of the homestay, and hosts’ personal stories are photocopied in front of it, addressed to the visitors.

In the event room on first floor, spring onion atelier uses a set of large yarn to unify the space from indoor to outdoor. It acts as main visual medium to accommodate presentation and workshops underneath. The lights above yarn becomes softer and sets off a sense of ritual for the main speakers and audience. The yarn continues to outdoor gallery and creates a pleasant scale for resting. Then it drapes down from the window frame to the fountain in front of the entrance, with gradient yellow tone. It highlights the entrance and presents visitors a strong visibility from distance.

The predecessor of Big House Contemporary Art Center was the office building of Wuhan first yarn factory built in the 1950s. The mahogany doors, wooden grilles and old brick columns all retain the charm of the building. With respect of its history and material of the space, spring onion atelier chose yarn as the main material for the entire exhibition design: crystal and dreamy on the ground floor, gentle and soft on the first, while generous and bright. In this way spring onion atelier tries to weave the heavy history of the building and the gentle dreams of the hosts.