Stepping into the ad hoC Café, layers of suspended ceilings are washed by light and shadow, together forming a tunnel-like space that extends to the black mirror surface: an ambiguous, deep surface that calls the distant past, reflecting the mysterious contour of the metal sculpture assembled by copper sheets in the center of the space. It is a special “table” designed for the space by American artist RJ Tripodi, called a “chorus”. This installation becomes the “hearth” of the space, a focal point of all social activities.
During the day, it is a familiar coffee scene. After nightfall, the warm yellow light changes to cyan. While rotating the metal wheel in front of the black mirror, glass pendant lights rise slowly, like an opening of a play. A kaleidoscope-like intricate pattern -- made by British artist Celyn Bricker, who made abstract mirror images generated with AI software based on William Morris's work to simulate handmade murals in the Art Deco period is projected on the ceiling. And a good show is about to start.