Chengdu, China -- This summer, Chengdu IFS, the city’s landmark, is staging a unique feast of street art, celebrating creativity to unlock inspiration and using imagination to unchain ideas. In early August, Chengdu IFS joined hands with Ryuji Kamiyama to open UNBOXING, the Japanese highly-influential graphic artist’s first interactive art exhibition in China. Leveraging highly creative and inspirational presentations, UNBOXING encourages the public to activate themselves in a process of viewing and co-creating art, thereby “unboxing” passion and inspiration for the hot summer.

Unleashes Imagination and Inspiration

As the key connection between art, city and public, Chengdu IFS has partnered with Ryuji Kamiyama to launch UNBOXING as its latest crossover showcase, leveraging interactive experience to highlight diverse street culture and fostering a distinctive art space with unique expressions. As one of the key icons of Japan’s Ura Harajuku street fashion movement, Kamiyama builds on Chengdu’s urban features to creatively reinvent his classic characters, seeking to celebrate people’s natural-born desire to explore and embrace lovely things. "I hope my works will inspire people to unchain themselves from their existing perspective," said Kamiyama. "Just as Chengdu IFS is always being persistent on inspiring the public with various art events, there are a lot worth unboxing and exploring in our city and life. So join us to discover a more colourful self in an interesting atmosphere and journey!"

Siting on the LG2 floor atrium, a mysterious containers-size installation was unveiled. With the huge box’s left and right sides both open for access, Kamiyama’s iconic Rat Face characters, together with graffiti props such as spray cans, brushes, and gloves, are popping out from the top of the box, and extending an invitation to all visitors to enter the mysterious space. In front of the box, brilliant colors pour out from a huge paint can, like the inspirational heat gushing out in summer. Inside the box and paint can, bold graffiti patterns and fluorescent neon decorations complement each other, leading visitors to “space-travel” to Tokyo’s Harajuku. At the digital art interactive zone inside the installation, visitors can also combine their own expressions and brushstrokes to co-create unique works with the artist, then save them as digital copies or have them printed as postcards, to permanently save this "shared inspiration".

At L7 Sculpture Garden, one of Chengdu’s popular photo spots, pigments and brushes for creative improvisation are prepared, inviting visitors to join I AM HERE, the city’s landmark panda installation, in creating a seasonal treasure reserved for Chengdu. An UNBOXING-themed selfie frame is installed to allow visitors to unlock new fun way to interact with the panda – the frame is also digitally available online so that everyone can instantly DIY their photo into trendy covers!

Taking place concurrently with UNBOXING is WANDERLUST, Ryuji Kamiyama’s solo exhibition at the L7 art gallery. It presents the latest works from the artist’s WANDERLUST series as well as warm-toned neon lights. As these elements have accompanied the artist's past experiences and given him healing power, Kamiyama hopes that the universe and vision presented through the works can illuminate the public's inner world.

Art Show Serves as Opportunity to Highlight Diverse Street Culture

Chengdu IFS believes that art is not just about perception, but more about resonance. As artworks touch people’s soul, the shopping complex is also organizing various online and offline events to help everyone approach the fun and charm of street art through various aspects of urban life.

During the interactive art show, Chengdu IFS will invite skateboarding enthusiasts to show their skills and compete for the coolest style. More engaging events including fluorescent graffiti parties and fun sports activities will also unfold one by one.

In addition to the main event, Chengdu IFS has collaborated with Ryuji Kamiyama to create unique co-branded merchandise, including trendy and adorable items such as phone straps, tote bags with hanging plush toys, Japanese paper fans, and sponges. Moreover, during the exhibition, visitors who exceed a certain spending threshold will have the opportunity to unbox a surprise souvenir, which may include one of the aforementioned premium items.

And there is just more fun that will come with the UNBOXING show and its mentality – Chengdu IFS is collaborating with “zakka”, a coffee art space favored by Chengdu’s young urbanists. Together, they will splash the space with limited-time graffiti decorations to present experiences that please both the eye and the tongue, unlock fun memory from city streets, and create a unique "gap time" for everyone in the scorching summer.

Interacts with Various Street Art for Greater Resonance

For years, Chengdu IFS has been dedicated to bringing global art to the public and the city, establishing itself as a distinctive commercial icon. It not only offers a wide range of consumer choices but also provides diverse added values such as culture and art, enriching the overall experience. Known as China's frontier of trendy and vibrant culture, Chengdu thrives in diverse domains such as music, street sports, and street graffiti. As a groundbreaking initiative, the UNBOXING interactive art exhibition serves as a prominent symbol. In conjunction with this event, Chengdu IFS has developed the 'UNBOXING Chengdu Graffiti Map', which showcases the city's iconic graffiti scenes. The campaign also includes interviews with trend-setters in rap, skateboarding, and street graffiti, offering insights into Chengdu's dynamic expressions of street art. The customized ‘UNBOXING Chengdu Graffiti Map' serves as a platform to showcase Chengdu's flourishing cultural content and activities, providing readers with an opportunity to explore the city from a unique perspective rooted in street art.

And taking UNBOXING as a unique opportunity, Chengdu IFS will host a forum for China’s street artists and Chengdu’s graffiti enthusiasts in September, where they will be able converse and exchange with Ryuji Kamiyama.

During the forum, street artists and graffiti enthusiasts will also build on inspirations they draw from Chengdu to co-create themed graffiti in the city centre, translating creativity into public art and leaving eternal urban imprint for the summer of 2023.

More importantly for Chengdu IFS, what UNBOXING really “unboxes” is an art-based surprise gifted to the city of Chengdu. As a box-shaped shopping complex itself, Chengdu IFS wants to “unbox” its tangible boundaries to explore more possibilities for how commerce can approach art, lifestyle and local culture, foster creative scenes that better cater to the characteristics of the city and its people, and entertain the public with exclusive urban experiences “unboxed” before. This time, it is not only tapping infinite dynamics by going beyond the boundaries of commerce and culture, but also adding more fun and charm to the vibrant Chengdu already shining with the 31st FISU World University Games.

Event Details

Theme: Chengdu IFS UNBOXING Interactive Art Exhibition

Dates: August 4 - October 15, 2023