rhapsody | hanzhanglai

Mad Rhapsody

This exhibition by MAD Architects explores architecture’s ability to reflect site, time, and spirit. Projects respond uniquely to cultural contexts,
as folk art chapters united in a rhapsody. Chapters on Naturalism, Urban Interactions, Boundaries, and a “Primeval Future” juxtapose spaces, times, and emotions to enter a broad temporality. The exhibition also features a re-creation of the “Tunnel of Light” installation, with viewing platforms in a smaller 3m “tunnel” showing river reflections. Without conforming to style restrictions, the works engage in a lively dialogue as emotional reflections. The exhibition elicits intrigue, new perspectives, and feeling through improvisation and imagination.

Professional Work

Project and image courtesy of MAD Architects

Location: Nantong Museum, China

Area: 3,600m², 9 Gallery Room
Status: Exhibited 2021/9 - 2022/2

MAD Rhapsody reframed architectural work as a spatial and narrative inquiry, using exhibition design as a research method to translate architectural ideology, speculative futures, and cultural values into a public experience.

Rather than presenting architecture as a chronological portfolio, the exhibition asked how architectural ideas could be understood as cultural positions shaped by history, nature, technology, and public life. The curatorial challenge was to translate abstract architectural thinking into an experiential narrative without flattening its complexity.

Curatorial Structure as Research

MAD Rhapsody was conceived as a six-part curatorial narrative that framed architectural work as a cultural and philosophical inquiry. Rather than a chronological retrospective, the exhibition organized projects into thematic chapters exploring classical aesthetics, future cities, nature, time, public life, and boundaries. Curation functioned as a research method, using spatial sequencing, atmosphere, and media to translate architectural ideas into public experience.

Chapter I: Naturalism

visual render

Chapter I: Naturalism, image courtesy of mad architects

Chapter II: Urban Interactions

visual render

Chapter II: Urban Interactions, image courtesy of mad architects

Chapter III: Naturescape

visual render

Chapter III: Naturescape, image courtesy of mad architects

Finale: Design

Finale: Design, image courtesy of mad architects

Installation
Implementation

The exhibition also features a re-creation of the “Tunnel of Light” installation, transforming the original 750m long Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel revitalization at the Echigo-Tsumari Triennale into a smaller 3m “tunnel” that showcases river reflections. I worked closely with a team of spatial designers, material manufacturers, light designers, engineers, and fabricators to bring this vision from idea to life.