influenced by the 2017 taipei public arts festival’s theme, ‘story of a river’, italian-portuguese duo moradavaga have devised an interactive acoustic installation with a strong visual impact that could resonate with the aquatic memories of the old course of the keelung river an imaginative way. ‘kraki’ is based on the descriptions found since the late 13th century about legendary sea creatures named ‘kraken’ that probably inspired herman melville and jules verne on some of their most notable writings, like moby dick and 20.000 leagues under the sea.

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
the pipes allow people to hear their voice echoed into the center of the structure

 

 

after last year’s installation ‘vernie’ on the island of são miguel in the azores, moradavaga’s giant squid finds itself in taipei. the giant art installation allows visitors to interact with each other by speaking and hearing through the tentacles’ ends and eyes of the giant aquatic creature. the creative duo believes that in the near future, this type of giant squid or similar animals could be spotted randomly in various locations around the globe, as a kind of imaginary ambassadors of the sea.

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
moradavaga was invited to participate at the 2017 taipei public arts festival

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
‘kraki’ the giant squid is the great-great-grandfather of ‘vernie’, which was seen last year at the azores islands

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
people can speak and hear through the arms of the giant squid

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
‘kraki’ is based on the descriptions found during the late 13th century about legendary sea creatures named ‘kraken’

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
moradavaga believes that in the near future, this type of giant squids or similar creatures could be spotted randomly in different places around the globe

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
the installation is made from orange electric cable protectors

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
each arm of the giant squid reaches approximately 15 m in length

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
the site-specific art piece is set in the meilun park in taipei, taiwan

kraki the giant squid sprawls its lengthy tentacles at the 2017 taipei public arts festival
the installation serves as a lively communicative tool for passers-by of all ages

 

 

project info:

 

project type: installation
location: meilun park, taipei, taiwan
date: august-october 2017
supported by: taipei city government
collaboration: joão dias-oliveira, guan-lin lai, yi-ting lee, jau-ching lee, hsien-chi liu

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom