Red Silk of Fate – The Shrine, Hong Kong Art Installation, HK Interior Architecture Photos
Red Silk of Fate – The Shrine in Hong Kong
6 January 2022
Red Silk of Fate – The Shrine
Authors: Sputniko! x Napp Studio & Architects
Location: Hong Kong, China

Photos by Jimmy HO
Red Silk of Fate – The Shrine, HK
The red silk line that connects two people who are destined to be together, appears across many Chinese, Japanese and Korean mythologies. The delicate silk line symbolises the fragility of love at times. On the other hand, such a thin line represents the passion in love that is powerful and irresistible.

Through the genetically engineered red silk containing Oxytocin (known as the socially bonding, love-hormone) invented by Artist Sputniko! (Hiromi Ozaki) with Professor Hideki Sezutsu from the University of Tokyo, the Asian Mythology of Red String of Fate is recreated in the form of a roof-scape that references an Asian shrine.
The shrine renders a mysterious and sacred setting that echoes the Asian myth of the red silk, which usually involves the play of a deity figure e.g. Yue Lao. The shrine, being one of the most common typologies of spiritual space for worshipping and blessing, is where faiths, intentions, emotions and wishes intertwine.

The team also worked with Japanese designer Masaya Kushino on the fabric design. The roof-scape is made of silk fabric with the red silk (together with other colored engineered silk) embroidered onto the ...