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Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя by Hikoko Ito

Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя by Hikoko Ito is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Бронзавая прэмія A' Design Award in Дызайн выяўленчага мастацтва і арт-інсталяцый Competition Category.


БронзаВыяўленчае мастацтва· 2024

Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя

by Hikoko Ito

Client: Hong Kong Museum of Art

Бронзавая прэмія A' Design Award Winner in Выяўленчае мастацтва Category

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The Design

About Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя

Тэкст кнігі: "Happy Birthday Likeboxes" — гэта мастацкая інсталяцыя, створаная з 366 асветленых паштовых скрынак, па адной на кожны дзень года. На дзверцах кожнай скрынкі размешчаны ўзор, які хавае кітайскі іерогліф, і наведвальнікі павінны расшыфраваць узор, каб адкрыць адпаведную скрынку. Унутры можна знайсці намаляваную ад рукі паштоўку з днём нараджэння, пакінутую папярэднім наведвальнікам. Затым кожны наведвальнік малюе новую паштоўку для будучага наведвальніка і кладзе яе ў паштовую скрынку. Скрынкі зроблены з пластыку, акрылавых пласцін і LED-падсветкі. Інсталяцыя заахвочвае асабісты самавыраз і дабрыню.

The Recognition

About the Бронзавая прэмія A' Design Award

Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя — пераможца Бронзавай прэміі A' Design Award, высокапрэстыжнага прызнання, якое прысуджаецца выдатным дызайнам, што вылучаюцца творчасцю, вынаходлівасцю і праніклівасцю. Бронзавыя пераможцы — гэта ўмелыя і ўражліва творчыя артэфакты, якія пацвярджаюць вялікі вопыт, уяўленне і знаходлівасць сваіх дызайнераў. Чакаецца, што Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя — гэта высока цэнены, захапляльны і любімы прадмет, надзвычай прафесійны і інавацыйны. Гэты дызайн, што атрымаў Бронзавую прэмію A' Design Award, уключае лепшыя практыкі ў мастацтве, навуцы, дызайне і тэхналогіях і выдатны ўвагай да дэталей. Happy Birthday Likeboxes Мастацкая інсталяцыя цудоўна задавальняе патрэбы, кранае жаданні, зачароўвае пачуцці і ўзбуджае цікаўнасць.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The 366 illuminated mailboxes, each representing a day of the year, enable you to receive a hand-drawn birthday card from a previous visitor and create one for a future visitor, perpetuating a continuous chain of kindness. Adorned with intricate patterns that form visual puzzles, these mailboxes invite participants to uncover the hidden Chinese characters, unlocking the magic within. The joyous ritual of decoding patterns and exchanging birthday cards transforms each visit into a journey of discoveries and moments of special connection.
Dimensions & Packaging
Main installation comprises of 366 Birthday Likeboxes 8445mm x 500mm x 1890mm;
Postbox
500mm x 500mm x 1300mm
Tags
Art Installation, Community Engagement, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, Happy Art, Connecting people
Production Technology
Materials: Plastic for Likeboxes, acrylic plates for patterns on doors of Likeboxes, LED lights, polyester wallcovering, brisl coated texture paper, ORACAL 651 adhesive patterns on glass walls, wood and steel for Postbox, wooden desks and chairs.
Design Challenge
There was skepticism regarding whether visitors would invest time in creating birthday cards for a stranger and if the quality of the contributions would be satisfactory. Serving dually as a social experiment, the installation's launch tested the altruism and community spirit of Hong Kong's residents. The resounding success and the positive reception of the installation and its subsequent variations in various Chinese cities and Paris have since affirmed the project's appeal across diverse age groups and cultures.
Research
Rooted in my humble family tradition of drawing birthday cards for my parents, Happy Birthday Likeboxes is a journey through joy and human connection. The adventure begins with the quest for one's unique Birthday Mailbox. This search and the exchange of hand drawn birthday cards transform every visit into an exploration and moments of special connection. Many visitors claimed to have been motivated to start creating birthday cards for their loved ones, extending the warmth & kindness experienced from the installation to their own family circles. By celebrating a universally shared and valued occasion - our birthday - the installation also brings people from various backgrounds, while promoting kindness and a Pay-it-forward mindset within the community.
Inspiration
Inspired by my family tradition of exchanging hand-drawn birthday cards, my art installation aims to recreate that joy for visitors, at the same time fostering a pay it forward spirit in the community. The Likeboxes resembling social media posts, encourage visitors to reflect on the often-impersonal nature of digital interactions and to instead create and share a hand-drawn birthday card infused with sincere, heartfelt wishes.
Project Duration
The project commenced in April 2023 and the inaugural exhibition of the art installation Happy Birthday Likeboxes debuted in July 2023 at the Chih Lo Lou Gallery on the 4th floor of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Originally scheduled to end in October 2023, the exhibition's popularity warranted an extension through January 2024. Capitalizing on this success, the museum inaugurated a second exhibition titled Happy Birthday Likeboxes in Sunlight on the 5th floor, commencing January 18th, 2024, which is anticipated to conclude on June 26th, 2024.
Operation Flow
1.Find Your Birthday Likebox that corresponds to your birth date. 2.Decipher the Pattern on its door and uncover the hidden Chinese character to unlock the magic of your Birthday Likebox. 3.Open Your Birthday Likebox. 4.Receive a Unique Birthday Card lovingly gifted by a previous visitor. 5.Select a Drawing Card with printed depiction of an artwork from the Hong Kong Museum of Art collection. 6.Create a New Birthday Card for another future visitor. 7.Send your card at the Post box. Selected works, over 2,500 up to Dec 20th, 2023) are photographed and featured on social media hblbhkmoa.
Team Members
Hikoko Ito

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