Zhenglong Yang Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Nirvana Kinetic Sound Installation in Installation Design

Zhenglong Yang acknowledged for installation design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Nirvana Kinetic Sound Installation by Zhenglong Yang has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Installation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the Bronze A' Design Award Means

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Regarding Nirvana Kinetic Sound Installation

Nirvana merges tradition and technology, featuring a matrix of motorized Wooden Fish, traditional East Asian ritual instruments. Each instrument houses an automated striker synchronized via physical computing, creating rhythmic auditory patterns. The arrangement visually captivates, blending handcrafted forms with mechanical precision, highlighting innovation through harmony between past rituals and contemporary kinetic art.

About Zhenglong Yang

Ziggy (Zhenglong Yang) is an installation artist born and raised in Xi'an, China, living and working in New York. He holds dual master's degrees in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and Interactive Telecommunications Program from New York University. His work delves into the contrast between the cold, emotionless nature of machines and the inherent emotional complexities of human beings. It responds to his experiences growing up in an Eastern cultural environment that emphasized emotional restraint, collectivism, societal expectations, and the integration of Buddhism and Taoism beliefs.

Award Record

With this recognition, Zhenglong Yang is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Interactive, Experiential and Immersive Design Installations Award

The A' Installation Design Award is an international installation design competition recognizing good installation designs by best installation designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to installation designers, experiential design studios, interactive design agencies and immersive technology experts from all countries. Typical entries include sculptural installations, light installations, sound installations, digital installations, kinetic installations and site-specific installations. The awarded interactive installation designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/installation

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/163757
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/163757
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!163757
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358252
Further Information from the Laureate: https://ziggyyang.com/nirvana

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Nirvana Kinetic Sound Installation
Function: Kinetic Sound Installation
Category: Installation Design
Discipline: Communication Design
Industry: Arts and Branding & Advertising
Colors: Rosy Brown, Gray, Dark Gray, Silver and Dim Gray
Images: 5

The Recognition

Laureate: Zhenglong Yang
Country: United States of America
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2024 - 2025
Design ID: #163757

Credits

Image Credits: Video Credits: Qinghui Kong

Design Details

Unique Properties: "Nirvana" is a kinetic sound installation merging Buddhist philosophy with technology, it reinterprets ancient spiritual practices, offering viewers a unique, technology-driven meditative experience that bridges the gap between traditional Buddhism and contemporary art. It features motorized Wooden Fish arranged in a matrix. These traditional instruments, crucial in East Asian Mahayana Buddhist rituals, are synchronized through physical computing.
Inspiration: "Nirvana" is a word from the Buddhist concept of enlightenment and the role of rhythmic sound in spiritual practices. The Wooden Fish, traditionally used to maintain focus during meditation, symbolizes mindfulness and spiritual journey. This project demonstrates how technology can enhance and recontextualize spiritual practices. Merging Buddhist elements with contemporary art and technology invites viewers to contemplate their spiritual journey and the pursuit of inner peace.
Challenge: The primary challenge was mastering physical computing to synchronize 96 motors for perfect operation. Another hurdle was developing a robust connection mechanism. This required multiple iterations of custom 3D-printed parts to securely grip the Wooden Fish and mallets. The design process involved several rounds of modifications before reaching the final version. Additionally, incorporating CNC technology to cut plywood presented its own set of challenges. These technical obstacles demanded innovative problem-solving, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern fabrication techniques to realize the ambitious vision of "Nirvana."
Realization and Technology: Realization Technology: Physical Computing Materials: Solid Wood, Plywood, DC Motor, Sensor, Customized PCB Boards
Operation and Interaction: "Nirvana" is an autonomous installation that operates independently of audience presence. The Buddhist wooden fish instruments are continuously struck by motor-controlled mallets, generating an unceasing soundscape. This autonomous operation creates a powerful, immersive environment, drawing the audience into its rhythmic and spiritual essence.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in January 2024 in New York, finished in May 2024 in New York, and was exhibited in the ITP Spring Show in May 2024.
Specifications: Each panel is 2' (W) by 8' (H).
Keywords: Installation, Buddhism, Sound, Immersive, Physical Computing