Roam OCT-LOFT’s ‘Fun Palace’ exhibition online

Despite the closure of C2 Space in OCT-LOFT, you can still “e-visit” its exhibition “Fun Palace” via mobile phone.

The exhibition organizer has rolled out a “panoramic exhibition hall,” offering users the immersive experience of a virtual visit to the physical venue. The panoramic, 360-degree virtual tour shows online visitors the exhibition hall and its best exhibits. They can also read related introductory texts by clicking on hotspots that appear on the screen.

Screenshots of the virtual “Fun Palace” exhibition.

Curator Bruce Bo Ding borrowed British architect Cedric Price’s 1960s visionary project “Fun Palace” for this exhibition title. Sixteen groups of domestic and international artists exhibited their interactive installations, videos and photos at the exhibition.

The idea behind Price’s “Fun Palace” was to build a “laboratory of fun” with facilities for dancing, music, drama and fireworks. Central to his practice was the belief that through the correct use of new technology, the public could have unprecedented control over their environment, resulting in a building which could be responsive to visitors’ needs through the many activities intended to take place there. Although it was never realized, Price used architecture to address the future.

“It seems that the public is passive in the era of omnipresent technology, and we only focus on what technology gives us while ignoring its structure, logic and influence. Therefore, in the ‘Fun Palace’ exhibition, we intend to question technology,” Ding said.

Recordings of Ding’s talks with the artists in this exhibition can be heard on OCT-LOFT’s official WeChat account “oct-loft.”

Scan the QR code to “e-visit” the “Fun Palace” exhibition.