Kin-Build Project：Fading Breeze by Kou Tak-Leong

A multitude of nylon threads hangs suspended above the semi-outdoor plaza, swaying subtly and erratically amidst the wind, architectural airflows, and the movement of people. Within these currents, the threads reveal a softness and uncertainty; they occasionally twist, intertwine, then loosen, with the structure temporarily forming and quietly dissolving with each breath of air.

Originally industrially manufactured for stability and uniformity, the tightly coiled nylon gradually unwinds and sags over time, embodying a near-silent descent. These changes go largely unnoticed yet continuously occur, like subtle imprints of time etched into the material itself. In this open environment, the once inorganic, artificial materials acquire a dynamic akin to natural transformation.

Horizontal laser beams, designed for precise positioning and measurement, traverse the installation. Attempting to “measure” this perpetually shifting space, they create a delicate tension between accuracy and blur, stability and drift. The light fails to pinpoint fixed positions as expected; instead, scattered points shimmer like floating air textures, making these minute movements visible and perceptible, evoking a poetic meditation on material flux over time.

The work is situated within the ground floor plaza of the Taipei Performing Arts Center, designed by Rem Koolhaas & David Gianotten— a raised, open public space serving as a shared urban lobby where people freely pass through, linger, and pause. Fading Breeze intervenes at this scale with dense nylon threads, introducing the micro-movements of wind, light, and motion. It invites visitors to perceive their bodies within the vast space through a different scale, fostering a subtle yet poetic sensory experience between body and environment. The audience is invited to partake in an improvised performance that cannot be rehearsed, drifting freely like the breeze through this place.

Launched in 2025, the “Kin-Build Project’ is a long-term initiative by the Taipei Performing Arts Center, curated by Huang Wei-Lun. It invites visual artists to respond to TPAC’s distinctive architecture and surrounding urban fabric. By treating the building as a site for artistic intervention, the project transforms everyday public space into a field of perception and shared presence.

The first installation, Fading Breeze by artist Kou Tak-Leong, features large, coiled nylon threads suspended above the center’s entrance. At night, horizontal laser levels—typically used for measurement—illuminate the space, with infrared beams softening into gliding points of light as they trace the nylon loops. These fleeting red glimmers reveal the invisible currents of air, becoming subtle evidence of movement and life. Standing beneath the work feels like gazing up into a red night sky scattered with stars; from a distance, the piece appears as a delicate night light floating above Shilin Night Market. The installation weaves a dynamic, participatory spatial experience that transforms Rem Koolhaas ＆ David Gianotten’s architecture into a living theater of everyday life, placing the public at the heart of this shared stage.