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The sister sculpture to the Tree of Light Part of the idea behind the Tree of Light is bringing separate native villages together in unity and hope for the future. The Tree is a huge part of that, but not the only part. Meet its counterpart, to be installed in another village as a symbolic link between the two: That's my original sketch of the heart (which will also be printed on the official T-Shirts!) The big keyhole symbolizes the hope that neighboring tribes might open their hearts to each other in times of need, like the floods that hit there in 2009. In my final design below, there's a smaller keyhole above it that visitors can drop an old key into as a gesture of opening their own hearts- sort of like couples who leave locks on the Brooklyn Bridge. It was designed to be a light sculpture that radiates warm colors from inside of a steel shell. Sort of a warm glow within a hardened heart, if you will :-) Here's how we designed the look of this- flattening all the facets of my 3D model and just drawing over them like you would with paper and a Sharpie. This part is always really fun! Then we can wrap it right back up onto the 3D model, for that fancy render above. Then I send a cleaned-up version to the fabricators in Taiwan to start cutting and welding! So we digitally transported an idea from my head over to another country where they make it real- sort of like the transporter in Star Trek. Here's some in-progress shots of them putting it all together. Soon they'll be fitting on the back side and lining the interior with acrylic and lights to install it for all to enjoy! We even designed an oversized ceremonial key- complete with moustache- that will be used for photo ops and publicity at the dedication of this huge heart: More photos soon as this big beauty becomes a permanent part of the scenery in Alishan.

All the ways that it can elevate life in Alishan The Tree of Light was designed to do a lot of things. Obviously, it's intended to be a big beautiful sculpture to enjoy. But there's so much more to it- let's dive into some of that! I designed it to be one cohesive sculpture, with special areas that can be covered with art from local Taiwanese villages in made especially for it. The open blue sections on the image above (almost 20 total) are made for artists, school children, and others to create designs that reflect their cultural heritage. Its modular design allows that art to be replaced in rotation for different seasons or events. For the opening on December 20th 2020, those areas will have art designed in part by local schools based on what each village is known for- from fish scales in one village to stylized pigs in another area that is known for its pork. Other themes include stars, fireflies, keys, pulled leather, and iron. Sure, I'm flying halfway around the world to make a sculpture I designed... but it's intended to showcase the culture of the area I'm visiting. Here's some designs native to the area: Pretty great stuff, right? Each level of the Tree of Light is also designed to evoke the shape and feel of a traditional kuba- with details like a two-story space inside and even sections lined with grasses much like what you see below. Along with uniting native villages and showcasing their ways of life, the Tree of Light is intended to give these areas a financial boost as well. Alishan is an entire area that is huge for nature tourism within Taiwan- as you can see below- and this sculpture will be an attraction that will draw people to the area to visit and learn about those who live there. Another way it's intended to do good is by turning the space around it into a gathering place for art vendors, food, and events. An old empty lot can become a cultural hub! The inside of the Tree of Light itself can also be used for art shows, musical performances and many other creative uses to come. And while I'm here, we'll talk with people about how we created this and what I do in hopes of inspiring those native to the area with new possibilities for their lives.

Here's where we began- my Taiwan counterpart and I had a task before us... To see THROUGH all of this to what could be. Sort of like Michelangelo, who could visualize a figure within the marble, we had to try and imagine what we could do with this under-used lot at the center of a mountain village in need of revitalization. Could we make it into a tourist attraction that ALSO brings separate villages together with a sense of unity and pride? In just over a month's time? This is our canvas! First, I took my 'digital broom' to the lot and swept some things away so I could dress it up. Look at it now! It's already an inviting little respite, a cozy nook nestled in between a nice overlook and the beautiful mountains that make up someone's home. Some glowing art and a few tables and we'd be on our way! This is my best skill- SEEING through to what could be. Then I got on Google Street view and walked myself all over the village for a few hours before I started. What is life like for the people who live here? What do they need? How will this fit into their lifestyle? Click this image below to walk around their home village yourself... Then, it's time to put yourself in the shoes of someone who'd come here. What will they see when they enter the lot? How do we guide them through the experience? We wanted it to be an event, not just a 'thing to see.' An entire space filled with the ideals that the Tree of Light represents. Great food to enjoy, art you can take home, a lighted path to bring wonder to the experience... Here's one of my earlier visualizations: Then, I began to play with light and dark. Glowing things are nice and alluring, but without the dark they're really nothing. We're basically big moths- we're drawn to lights that stand out! Big areas of light (the tree) but also darker spaces, smaller lights to draw your eyes away and magical glows in simple things like tables or paths. Mystery in certain areas. When someone comes up to the big tree in this space, I wanted them to wonder- can I go INTO that? I wanted them to see the second floor window with people in it and get excited to go there themselves. Here's the image we created to pitch the project to investors and funders: Don't you feel a certain sense of curiosity and a little bit of a thrill to see what could be here? It's even that magical time of night when the world of light and the world of darkness are coexisting for a moment. Sometimes, an idea can come across by telling you JUST enough to fill in the rest with your own feelings.

Going from that sketchy doodle to something we can build How do you go from this: to this 3D design... and on to an actual three-story light sculpture people can WALK into? Well, it starts with a really basic idea: This is the first visualization I did after that squiggle up top. Each level is a truncated pyramid with shaved off corners, with each floor getting smaller as it goes up to pointed cap. Add some scribbles on top of the render to get the visual thinking going, and we're on our way! Some things we had to consider in our design process: Making a repeatable level structure that allowed different villages to customize parts of easily while maintaining one design aesthetic and keeping ease of assembly Designing scrollwork that is both whimsical and showcases bamboo- a natural resource the area and people are well-known for producing and working with well Creating corner pieces that can emit light and also be versatile enough to allow native artists to design in interesting ways A beacon of light on the top, stretching out to the 7 continents in a way that honors the people whose homes this sculpture will celebrate Finding fun opportunities to add interior sensory interest- from bamboo chimes to rope lights to a 'portal' running the entire height of the sculpture to gaze up through when you're inside of it Integrating the Tree of Light within an entire environment that includes seating, a pathway guiding guests to the tree, light sculptures in the space around it and how it all fits into the mountainous area it will inhabit Next up: bits and pieces! A look into all the individual elements making up the Tree

START AT THE BOTTOM POST to read all about my 5 month trip to Taiwan to create the 30 foot high Tree of Light in the mountains of Taiwan- all during a global pandemic! Follow along below with how this all came about, what I'm eating in a quarantine hotel for 2 weeks, see the build in progress, and join me on a trip around the world in a time when the world needs a little light :-)

A tale of pop stars, indigenous tribes, and a bad bunny It all began with this sketch, drawn on my iPad while I was on the phone: Well, actually it started a little while before that... One day back in 2019, I got a call from Corbett Wall- the Taiwan Prince of Saxophone in the 90's: Since finding great musical success, he's moved into arts management, promotion, property investment and then back into curating and producing art events and spaces. Corbett saw these concert visuals for this HUGE Latin Trap artist Bad Bunny that I created earlier in the year with the cool guys at Xite Labs... ...and he asked us all to design a stadium-sized interactive experience for some arts investors in China. That project never took off, but now he'd seen the great stuff I was capable of pulling out of my brain. He moved on to another organization and we kept in touch every so often. Jump ahead to 2020, and the pandemic found him in Taiwan, where he saw an opportunity to help revitalize some underserved areas in the mountain native villages of the Alishan area. Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan in August 2009, triggering record-breaking rainfall in central, southern and southeastern Taiwan, causing many families to be displaced. In this natural disaster, some people's homes were completely destroyed, while some people's land and houses were spared. The hearts of the villagers were hit and wounded, and mistrust between people gradually appeared due to many practical factors. In Laiji Village, the pace of reconstruction is slowly progressing, but finding a sustainable natural way of development without losing the heritage and cultural heritage of Tashan is crucial. Reestablishing active communication within the tribe is key for facing the next crisis. Only sharing and love can heal the anxiety and pain in the heart of the villagers. So Corbett's challenge to me was this: How can we bring light and connection to the villages and also build tourism in this area, along with some ways to share my unique perspective and ideas on creativity and technology with the people there? And that's how the idea of the Tree of Light was born :-) Next time: designing the tree and what it symbolizes along with its sister heart sculpture