Press Release
Blossom Interactive Installation by Zhenglong Yang Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Installation Design
Zhenglong Yang acknowledged for installation design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Blossom Interactive Installation by Zhenglong Yang has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Installation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Blossom Interactive Installation
Blossom is an interactive video installation inspired by Eastern philosophy, emphasizing the cycle of life and the importance of being present. Through the blooming of a Hibiscus rosa sinensis, China rose, in response to the viewer's presence, the piece invites contemplation of life's transient beauty. It encourages viewers to embrace the moment, finding clarity and meaning within the perpetual rhythm of existence.
About Zhenglong Yang
Ziggy (Zhenglong Yang) is an installation artist born and raised in Xi'an, China, living and working in New York. He holds dual master's degrees in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and Interactive Telecommunications Program from New York University. His work delves into the contrast between the cold, emotionless nature of machines and the inherent emotional complexities of human beings. It responds to his experiences growing up in an Eastern cultural environment that emphasized emotional restraint, collectivism, societal expectations, and the integration of Buddhism and Taoism beliefs.
Award Record
This recognition makes Zhenglong Yang a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. All of the awards belong to the 2024 - 2025 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Interactive, Experiential and Immersive Design Installations Award
The A' Installation Design Award is an international installation design competition recognizing good installation designs by best installation designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to installation designers, experiential design studios, interactive design agencies and immersive technology experts from all countries. Entries typically include sculptural installations, light installations, sound installations, digital installations, kinetic installations and site-specific installations. Awarded interactive installation designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/installation
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/167376
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/167376
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!167376
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/358252
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://ziggyyang.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Blossom Interactive Installation
- Function
- Interactive Installation
- Category
- Installation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Branding & Advertising
- Colors
- Steel Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Black, Sienna and Gainsboro
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Zhenglong Yang
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #167376
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Blossom is an interactive video installation inspired by Eastern philosophy, emphasizing the cycle of life and the importance of being present. Through the blooming of a Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (China rose) in response to the viewer’s presence, the piece invites contemplation of life’s transient beauty. It encourages viewers to embrace the moment, finding clarity and meaning within the perpetual rhythm of existence.
- Inspiration
- This artwork draws inspiration from Eastern philosophy, particularly the concepts of "the cycle of life" and "mindfulness of the present moment." The blossoming flower symbolizes fleeting beauty, while the closing bud reflects life's cyclical nature. Rooted in the wisdom of harmony with nature, the piece invites viewers to embrace the present and reflect on the interconnectedness of humanity, time, and the natural world.
- Research
- Type of Research: Experimental design research. Objectives: To explore how interactivity fosters mindfulness and emotional engagement. Methodology: Prototyping and user testing refined the interaction between technology and behavior. Tools: ToF sensor, microcontroller, and TouchDesigner enabled dynamic responses. Results: Viewers paused to engage, highlighting its calming impact. Insights: The project bridges art, technology, and mindfulness, inspiring future public and interactive designs.
- Challenge
- The hardest part was translating Eastern philosophy into an interactive design that could communicate mindfulness and presence to a global audience. Capturing the transient beauty of a flower blooming required aligning technology with philosophical principles, ensuring it felt natural and reflective. The challenge was balancing technical precision with artistic subtlety, overcoming limitations in sensor accuracy, and ensuring the system’s responsiveness evoked the cyclical, harmonious nature central to Eastern thought.
- Realization and Technology
- The design integrates a ToF (time-of-flight) sensor to detect the viewer's presence. Sensor data is processed by a microcontroller, which communicates with TouchDesigner, an interactive visual application running on a computer. TouchDesigner triggers the video content based on the input, which is then displayed on a CRT TV. This workflow combines precision sensing with dynamic visuals to create an engaging, responsive experience.
- Operation and Interaction
- The ToF sensor detects the viewer's presence, sending data to a microcontroller that triggers TouchDesigner to control the video. The flower blooms fully when a viewer pauses, retreats to a bud when they leave, and reacts minimally to passersby. If the viewer leaves during the blooming process, it pauses and retreats to the bud. The integration of precise sensor data with dynamic content enables an intuitive and engaging interaction, fostering a deeper connection to the present moment.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in September 2024 in New York City and finished in December 2024 in New York City, and was exhibited in Interactive Telecommunication Exhibition Brooklyn in December 2024.
- Specifications
- Width 350 mm, Depth 350 mm, Height 420 mm
- Keywords
- Interactive Installation, Responsive Art, Video Installation, Physical Computing, Presence, Eastern Philosophy
