A Striking Installation Where Light, Water, and Transformation Converge

Interactive Light Installation: Before Fish Become Birds, created by Zhiyi Zhang Studio, explores transformation through an interactive light installation inspired by the opening passage of Free and Easy Wandering in Zhuangzi. Drawing from the mythical transformation of Kun, an immense fish, into Peng, a bird whose wings stretch across the sky, the installation captures the uncertain moment before change takes place.

Conceived for a hotel courtyard in Shanghai, the installation connects this idea of transformation with the experience of arrival. Each guest check-in activates a sequence of illumination that begins at the waterline, travels through the two fish, expands across their translucent fins, and gradually settles into a gentle ambient glow.

Rising from a shallow reflecting pool, the sculptural fish combine layered frosted acrylic, thermoformed fins, laser-cut floral elements, and integrated LED lighting. Linear fountains lift water along both sides, while reflections create a shifting visual relationship between swimming and flight.

Through its integration of light, sculpture, water, and interactive technology, Interactive Light Installation: Before Fish Become Birds transforms a hotel courtyard into an immersive installation shaped by movement and anticipation. The work won in Interior Design – Installation category at the MUSE Design Awards, highlighting Zhiyi Zhang Studio’s achievement in creating a distinctive interactive environment that brings cultural storytelling and spatial experience together.