Night O₂

During the day, plants release oxygen under light. At night, unable to photosynthesise, they consume oxygen and release carbon dioxide through respiration; this is a natural rule.

Yet if a plant receives light at night, it also releases oxygen. If more oxygen is needed, might a plant illuminate itself in the night?

Night O₂ is a physical theatre work created by Xiao Ke × Zi Han for the 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum. It works with the building’s form, the art installation on the main façade, and the conditions of the site. Here, “oxygen” points to an indispensable nourishment for the spirit, and to the nourishment art can offer life. Taking the museum’s night-time opening to the public as its occasion, the work transforms the museum into a spiritual oxygen bar open after dark.