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Chinatown

Modern lanterns with radiant glow join traditional red lanterns lighting up San Francisco Chinatown

Portia Li
Portia Li
February 6, 2024
Prismatic Shift lanterns are installed between the traditional red lanterns outside Edge on the Square to light up San Francisco Chinatown. Photo by Portia Li
Prismatic Shift lanterns are installed between the traditional red lanterns outside Edge on the Square to light up San Francisco Chinatown. Photo by Portia Li

(SAN FRANCISCO) New contemporary art lanterns were installed to join the iconic red lanterns at 800 Grant Avenue to light up San Francisco Chinatown and welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year.

This new lantern project was created by Edge on the Square, a contemporary Asian art center founded by a number of non-profit organizations in Chinatown in 2021. By presenting more art projects, Edge on the Square hoped that it would bring in more visitors to Chinatown for its economic recovery.

A lighting ceremony was held on January 26 evening to unveil the newly-designed modern art lanterns, Prismatic Shift, installed at the Edge on the Square building at 800 Grant Avenue.

The famous and popular traditional Chinese red lanterns along Grant Avenue have become a symbol of San Francisco Chinatown. The Prismatic Shift lantern installation was the first art project of Edge on the Square in 2024.

According to the Edge on the Square, the outdoor Prismatic Shift lantern installation was created to kick-off a bright new year of 2024.

"The new art installation pays homage to the iconic red lanterns of San Francisco Chinatown, joining them to illuminate Grant Avenue and adorn the neighborhood’s dynamic architecture. It honors the traditional red lanterns’ rich cultural history through a contemporary lens that both renews and refreshes the enchantment of Chinatown," Edge on the Square stated.

“By harnessing the transformative power of contemporary art, the opportunities to effect change and make a positive impact are creatively endless,” said Joanne Lee, Executive Director of Edge on the Square.

Prismatic Shift lanterns were designed by Bay Area artist Bre Gipson. "Using lanterns to manipulate light and color, Gipson designed the installation to interact dynamically with its surroundings, illuminate and activate the public space, offering a unique play of light and color that evolves with the environment," Edge on the Square wrote. "The lanterns' radiant glow signifies a 'light' that is embodied by and reflected through the people, community, and the neighborhood's history, present reality, and future possibilities."