The Making of a Star…Fish!

In the spirit of a true collaborative collective, every member of Liu Daoparticipates in the creation of new artworks. Even the fish. While many of the collective have appeared in front of the camera for the occasional Liu Dao piece, our fine fish are some of the most renowned cast. Those of you who have visited the Shanghai island6 space may have happened upon our Bel-Air de Poisson. In an exclusive VIP area of the gallery, our gold-finned celebrities live their lives under the constant watch of a curious public, preparing for their next feature in the collective’s latest imaginings. So how is it that they taken from one of the “plenty in the sea” to being immortalised in LED? Let’s follow the making of one of Liu Dao’s pesce pieces from roe to go!

First, the auditioning process. After much eye-lid batting and fin-fanning, the leads are selected.

The location is set. Blue screen in place. The crystal palace must shine today.

Wardrobe check: the stars’ gold sequined suits iridescent in the spotlights now turned on our underwater stage.

Cameras: rolling, Act I Scene I - Coral Reef Rendezvous- Action!

Once the “money shots” are in the can, it’s on to post-production, editing together the day’s rushes. The final footage is converted into animation and programmed into customised circuit boards. These boards trigger sets of LED lights, giving them the language to tell our tale of love in the deep blue.

The circuit boards, as well as the sculptures, frames and  structures into which they are placed, are painstakingly wired and assembled on site in the Liu Dao master workshop.

..and after each  of the Liu Dao team has given the work just the right amount of skill and T.L.C. (tender loving care), we at last have our oceanic stars  immortalised  in bright lights on the LED screen: indeed a red carpet moment!

Come by to check out “ Chili Qi Fries” in person, and more, at 50 Moganshan Rd, Building 6, 2F. Also, more nature-and-animal-themed artwork are set for show from 27th October, when our new show The Cat That Eats Diodes opens with a barking, sniffing, meowing bang.