Light, shadow show lifts Shenzhen's night economy

The latest light and shadow art show in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has energized the city's nighttime economy and diversified its public spaces.

The third Glow Shenzhen show, with the theme of "Chasing the Flowing Light", displayed a total of 217 pieces of light and shadow artworks by curators and artists around the globe since it kicked off at the end of last year.

The works are designed to cover major public spaces, including 25 shopping areas of the city, according to the organizer. The show was held together with seven carnivals, which were launched to celebrate the Chinese New Year and other traditional festivals, with 68 themed activities from December to March.

In Shenzhen OCT Harbour, one of the city's major shopping areas, the art of light and shadow refreshed the shopping experience for visitors and stimulated the nighttime economy.

The shopping area achieved a 107 percent increase, month-on-month, in customer flow and a 53 percent increase in revenues during the show.

As a whole, according to the organizer, nearly 35 million yuan ($5.1 million) discount vouchers that were distributed during the show had been spent, generating an estimated total consumption of 500 to 600 million yuan.

Besides its function of boosting local nighttime consumption, the curators of the show expressed hope that art would enrich people's lives and enlighten the city's management of public spaces.

"People's first impression of a city often comes from its public spaces, which can serve as a reflection of the city's spirit," said Huang Ying, who helped direct the planning and execution of Glow Shenzhen.

The city government of Shenzhen could learn from the artwork of the show to create their own cultural icons and improve people's diversified experience towards the public spaces, she said.

Zhao Li, chief curator of the third Glow Shenzhen, compared the show with the one in Karlsruhe, Germany, to cultivate creative culture; the Linz Electronic Arts Festival in Austria; the Amsterdam Light Festival in the Netherlands; and Vivid Sydney in Australia.

Zhao, who is associate dean and a professor at the School of Art Management and Education of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said the culture inspired by the show could be a part of Shenzhen that grows on every street of the city and will walk into citizen's daily lives in the future.

"The art of light and shadow can take root in Shenzhen," he said. "It can integrate with industry and society, and combine with technical skills and knowledgeable people."