by Trista Ngo, AsAmNews Intern
San Francisco’s Chinese New Year festivities kickstarted on Saturday with the Flower Market Festival. Nestled in the center of Chinatown, covering multiple city blocks, the market was adorned with art installations, vibrant yellow flowers, and various vendors.
One installation, in particular, caught the attention (and hands) of attendees.
“Arm Day, Leg Day” by Bijun Liang is a “large-scale, interactive work” that welcomes marketgoers to participate with two 15-foot inflatable cats.
“If you pet both Arm Day and Leg Day, then you get full ‘福 Body Protection’ for the year,” Liang, a San Francisco native, said in an interview with AsAmNews.
They “offer a fresh interpretation of traditional Chinese symbols of protection and good fortune,” the Chinese Cultural Center (CCC) said in a statement.
“They’re inspired by the guardian lions that are usually in front of homes, temples, and Chinese culture… I find it way more fun for everyone involved when they can be part of the piece themselves, especially because [of] it being in a very community-oriented space,” Liang said.
The Chinese Cultural Center commissioned “Arm Day, Leg Day,” which took several months to develop. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco reached out to the CCC to create the festival’s inaugural art block.
“I think that’s a big part of what the CCC tries to do is bring contemporary art to the community because there is so much art here. There’s so much talent. We really try to uplift those narratives of people in the community and I think it shows how Chinatown is a hub for all of this innovative artwork,” said Indigo Hua, Marketing and Communications Manager for the CCC.
Liang thought about the Year of the Snake when working on the project.
“The Year of the Snake is actually the only animal in the entire that would act with no arms or legs. So I kind of was thinking that, for the snake, it represents almost like ‘long noodle, long life,’ like that kind of feeling, at least to myself. I wanted to have supplements to the snake where it’s focused on the arms and the legs, and if you have all of them, then it’s like head to toe, you’re just completely protected and super healthy,” Liang explained.
Visitors from all over the city came to pet each of the cats and string written wishes on the wishing wall, a separate installation, between them.
“I think it’s really cute and whimsical and funny. I think it attracts a lot of attention and connects people with culture in a way that they probably haven’t [seen before]. I think I’ve seen a lot of people stop by and take photos. But it’s really cool to see it in [a] space like this,” said festival volunteer Ruby Chen.
The art installation resides in front of 667 Grant Avenue in San Francisco, the site of CCC’s future expansion site, and will be on display Jan 25 and 26.
The Flower Market launches the Lunar New Year celebrations and precedes the Opening Ceremony on January 29th and the Chinese New Year Parade on February 15.
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