Social Network Factory / People’s Architecture Office
Text description provided by the architects. An art installation that activates public space, the Social Network Factory is located on the grounds of The Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shekou, Shenzhen.
The entire installation is about six meters high and consists of four sets of surrounding “pipe horns” intertwined in a spatial grid.
The horns of the installation reach outward in multiple directions, mirroring the cantilevered volumes of the center by architect Fumihiko Maki. While Maki’s design directs views towards distant landscapes, the horns of the Social Network Factory project sounds and voices to immediately adjacent areas, including the waterfront promenade, gardens and museum entrance.
Functioning on a human scale, small horns allow people to speak indirectly to each other while large horns are occupiable and provide cover for social activities. The installation’s twisting tubes recall the maritime and industrial heritage of Shekou. They become telescopes, periscopes, and public furniture that facilitate the gathering of people.
The public is welcome to explore the Social Network Factory on their own terms. It is an instrument for discovering new and unexpected ways of aural, visual, and physical interaction.
