overlapping nylon ropes shape colorful curved contours for mirage installation in shanghai

MARS Studio and XJTLU Design School craft Mirage installation

As part of the Shanghai Xintiandi Design Festival, MARS Studio, in collaboration with the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Design School, developed Mirage, an interactive installation located in the lakeside green space of Shanghai Xintiandi. The project was led by designers Ma Ning and Yu Jiashi.

The installation references Cai Guoqiang’s pyrotechnic works, translating the visual language of fireworks into a series of staggered geometric forms. The composition captures the moment of a firework’s bloom, aligning with the festival’s theme, Boundless Playground, through a focus on interactivity and public engagement. Mirage is constructed from gradient nylon rope screens that create continuous, curved contours. The color palette, green, blue, and orange-red, was inspired by Henri Matisse’s La Gerbe and symbolises nature, sky, and flowers respectively. As visitors move around the work, the overlapping ropes produce shifting visual effects, blending colors and altering light perception.

all images by Guangyao Cao unless stated otherwise

Overlapping ropes transform Fireworks into architectural form

The design integrates a sound-responsive lighting system. Vibrations generated by movement and touch activate programmed lighting sequences, creating a link between environmental rhythms and visual output. The lighting is paired with an original composition by Yu Yibin of the XJTLU Design School, synchronising changes in color and brightness with musical patterns.

Through its combination of form, material, and sensory interaction, Mirage functions as a public space intervention that merges visual art, sound design, and participatory experience. The work, developed by the collaborative team between MARS Studio and XJTLU Design School, transforms the ephemeral qualities of fireworks into a lasting installation that responds to its surroundings and audience in real time.

Mirage at the Shanghai Xintiandi Design Festival | image by Nango

created by MARS Studio with XJTLU Design School

fireworks translated into staggered geometric forms

capturing the instant of a firework’s bloom

green for nature, blue for sky, orange-red for flowers

vibrations trigger programmed light sequences

changing light and color as visitors move

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firework moments transformed into architectural form

an installation alive to its surroundings and audience

a lasting installation inspired by the ephemeral

project info:

name: Shanghai Xintiandi Design Festival Mirage
designer: MARS Studio | @mars.office, XJTLU Design School

location: Shanghai, China

design team: Ning Ma, Yu Jess, Tianqi Wang,  Shaohu Yang, Bohan Chen, Guangyao Cao, Yigao Liu

music: Yibin Yu, XJTLU SOFTA

video: Lin Ruefan, Alice Xiao

photography and filming: Guangyao Cao, Nango

drone filming: Design Shanghai

design partner: Bwee Technology