MAGNIFICANT RESIDUE
Magnificent Residue is a project selected and exhibited at London Design Festical 2023, consisting of mainly an Installation (Paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, pigment, stainless steel, wicks) and moving image, co-created by Weiran Yao and art brand Neoneo. Developed in response to the symbolic entanglement of monarchy, class, and public infrastructure in Britain, this large-scale installation reimagines the Kent Amethyst brooch as a monumental purple candle. The piece investigates how royal iconography, once exclusive, is repurposed through everyday visuals—such as the purple of the Elizabeth Line or scaffold mesh across the city. The work consists of a metal frame filled with small candles shaped like everyday household items. These were co-designed and made with volunteer residents from South West and East London—areas often seen as representing the city's class divide. Participants used objects from their daily lives as inspiration, embedding their personal stories into the candles. While the overall form echoes aristocratic jewellery, especially the Kentish amethyst, the project’s materials and process are grounded in local, collective creation. This contrast highlights and questions traditional symbols of power by turning them into shared, temporary forms.
By enlarging the brooch into an architectural structure made of stacked candles, the work explores themes of impermanence, class symbolism, and historical construction. As the wax melts and the internal scaffolding is revealed, the piece undergoes a transformation—from precious object to burned-out frame—questioning inherited value and cultural ownership.
Official Website Link
Digital Director / Installation co-production | Weiran Yao
Other group project members: Xiangfei Yan, Ranyi Yang
