Earth Worker 装置艺术 by Yu Liang Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 铁奖 in 美术与艺术装置设计 Competition Category.

铁美术· 2021

Earth Worker 装置艺术

by Yu Liang Chen

Client: NewLocal Art Studio

A' Design Award 铁奖 Winner in 美术 Category

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The Design

About Earth Worker 装置艺术

《大地工作者》是一件设于台湾屏东县湿地的户外艺术装置。半具象的人形伫立水中，宛如创造万物的巨人；身体的一侧俯视大地，另一侧则仰望天空。作品以玻璃纤维强化水泥为主要材料，覆于金属骨架与雕塑成形的发泡芯材之上。经刷饰处理的水泥砂浆表面保持原色，未施加任何色彩或补缀。此装置呼应了在地历史与马卡道族的文化。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铁奖

Earth Worker 装置艺术是 A' Design Award 铁奖得主，这是授予满足人们对设计精良的创作所期待的专业与工业要求的优良设计的声望认可。铁奖得主展现出其创作者的高超技艺、高度专业化、专家级的理解力和创造能力。预计Earth Worker 装置艺术将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的创作，既实用又创新。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铁奖的设计整合了行业最佳实践，并拥有与专业知识和才华相结合的称职技术特性。Earth Worker 装置艺术因其严谨而受到尊重，旨在提供有助于让世界变得更美好的生活品质改善。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The designer metaphors the earth worker as a giant coming from afar, stopping in the wetland to create all living things, using semi-representative human shapes to express local stories through the body, movement, and temperament. In order to bring out the local elements of Taiwan, through long-term interviews and field investigations, to understand the local history and culture, based on the idea of the aboriginal peoples of Macadao that were once a matriarchal society in the local coastal area, and then set up the legendary story of "The Mother Earth".
Dimensions & Packaging: The designer first sculpts the styrofoam to complete the outline of the prototype, then uses all kinds of metal components as the bone material, covering the overall shape to make it more stable, so as to continue the sculpture work of the surface material. Since the main material of the project is on the surface, the construction needs to consider the hardening time of the cement, and sculpt in stages, and set various seams and edges. How to keep the humidity during the production process to slow down the hardening speed of the cement is required.
Tags: Installation art, Earth Worker, natural, harmonious, local history, stories
Production Technology: This project uses GlassFiber Reinforced Cement as the main material and uses low-alkali cement mortar to add glass fiber filaments. The exterior design mainly uses cement mortar as the brush texture, without unnecessary patches or color processing, and uses the simple and rough material characteristics to emphasize the sensibility of the project and the natural environment of the wetland.
Design Challenge: The overall project needs to include geology, weight, average force, strong gusts, earthquakes, and other climatic factors into the structural calculations. Depending on the data, the marine engineering foundation steel piles are used to design the water foundation. The project of hanging on the water is divided into upper and lower parts due to the weight of the work and the restriction of the equipment, using subtle joining methods, and the joint is set as part of the appearance, without excessive on-site processing or modification.
Research: The semi-representative humanoid device is like a giant standing in the water, using both hands to create all things on the earth, and the stem buds growing on the hand symbolize "all things". Both sides of the body shape have their own meaning, one overlooking the earth, the other one looks up at the sky, and there is a gate for gestation in his body. All the life of all souls comes out from the gate, and on the other hand is the naughty creature "human" who jumps out of the gate, who is the protagonist of the plot.
Inspiration: The inspiration originally came from the first impression during the first meeting with the local environment. It is hoped that the project will combine the wetland environment and connect the water, woods, and sky to create a natural and harmonious picture. It integrates into the aboriginal culture of the local Macadao tribe, evokes a sense of visual impact with the "Earth Worker", and also brings out the local history and stories.
Project Duration: The project was completed in December 2020 in Pingtung County, Taiwan.
Operation Flow: In addition to implying the mother of the earth, the work also symbolizes "broaden the horizon", which means "everyone is his own creator, and you are the center of your own world." When starting a new stage or dream in life, it is like the gesture of the "Earth Worker", with both feet deeply rooted in the earth and hands deeply cultivating life. The result of the dream is not a secular achievement or the end of happiness, but a "proof of bringing up the courage to change." The designer looks forward to paying tribute to people working hard in society through the project.
Team Members: Yu-Liang Chen
Image Credits: Yu-Ching Huang