Capturing Qi is a kinetic sculpture and functional light exploring the context of post-modern feng shui and its shifting traditions. Through a satirical critique, the work highlights the commodification of feng shui and its transformation into
a market of objects promising prosperity, abundance and success. Centred around the crystal ball—an object only recently incorporated into feng shui—the sculpture is designed to resemble scientific apparatus, turning the invisible flow of qi into something seemingly tangible, measurable and controllable. It reflects on the tension between having and being, questioning
the pursuit of prosperity through material symbols without an understanding of the knowledge, traditions and practices they represent.
Rather than critiquing feng shui itself, Capturing Qi reflects on the pressures of modern society and its focus on constant self-optimisation, questioning the desire for immediate and material solutions to fulfilment and success.