Press Release
Emotion Protocol Kinetic Installation by Zhenglong Yang Receives the A' Design Award in Installation Design
Zhenglong Yang recognized 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/ Emotion Protocol Kinetic Installation by Zhenglong Yang has been granted the A' Design Award in the Installation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Emotion Protocol Kinetic Installation
Emotion Protocol is a kinetic installation that features multiple four-faced Buddha heads mounted on rotating mechanisms. Each head, inspired by traditional Buddhist statuary, is equipped with a motor that allows it to rotate in a programmed pattern. The synchronized movement of the heads produces a dynamic visual display, highlighting the contrast between traditional forms and modern mechanics.
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
With this recognition, Zhenglong Yang is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in 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. It 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. Typical entries include sculptural installations, light installations, sound installations, digital installations, kinetic installations and site-specific installations. The awarded interactive installation designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/installation
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/165874
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/165874
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!165874
- 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
- Emotion Protocol Kinetic Installation
- Function
- Kinetic Installation
- Category
- Installation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Branding & Advertising
- Colors
- Gainsboro, Light Gray, Silver, Dark Gray and Light Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Zhenglong Yang
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #165874
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photo credits: Audrey Chou
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- "Emotion Protocol" juxtaposes human nature's emotional complexity with the rigid, machine-like existence imposed by societal and familial expectations. The installation represents this contrast through rotating four-faced Buddha statues driven by a mechanical system.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the Chinese saying "joy, anger, sadness, happiness," which poetically represents human emotions, and the Buddhist four-faced Buddha statues, this piece fuses traditional symbolism with programmed mechanisms. It reflects the tension between humanity's rich emotional landscape and the societal pressures, particularly in East Asian cultures, to suppress and eliminate subjective emotions. This conflict pushes individuals into a mechanized existence, where they become tiny parts of a vast collective machine, bound by rules and protocols to meet the expectations of family and society.
- Research
- The four-faced Buddha symbolizes the interconnectedness of human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. In this work, the rotating faces represent shifting emotional states, blending ancient philosophies with modern discussions on emotional suppression, societal expectations, and mechanized behavior. This reinterpretation highlights the universality of emotions, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own emotional landscapes.
- Challenge
- The biggest challenge was balancing the symbolic depth of the four-faced Buddha with the mechanical precision of the installation. Integrating spiritual iconography into a technological framework required extensive research into cultural narratives and emotional theory. Technical hurdles included designing custom PCBs and achieving seamless motor synchronization for dynamic storytelling. Limited resources for advanced fabrication and algorithm testing added complexity, pushing innovation in blending tradition with modern design methodologies.
- Realization and Technology
- This project features 3D-printed Buddha heads crafted in resin, CNC-milled acrylic pedestals for elegant structural support, and a customized PCB(printed circuit board) for precise control of stepper motors. The algorithm, programmed and integrated into the control system, orchestrates the kinetic movements, embodying emotional narratives. Leveraging physical computing, the design merges technology and artistry, ensuring a seamless integration of hardware and conceptual intent.
- Operation and Interaction
- This project invites viewers to observe rotating Buddha heads, each with four faces representing different emotions. The heads rotate in pre-programmed patterns, symbolizing shifting emotional states. The interaction is passive yet thought-provoking, viewers reflect on the emotions represented. The synchronized motion creates a mesmerizing flow, highlighting the tension between human feelings and mechanical precision, making it uniquely engaging and impactful.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in September 2024 in New York and finished in December 2024 in New York, and was exhibited in RacketNYC in December 2024.
- Specifications
- 457.2(W), 457.2(D), 1100(H) cm
- Keywords
- Kinetic, Installation, Buddhism, Four-face Buddha, Emotion
