Everyone wants a snog or three at Chrimbo, which is why mistletoe is hanging everywhere to help facilitate such seasonal urges. If you’re angling for a kiss from somebody in particular, then you’ll be glad to hear that this year, there’ll be a load hanging at Xintiandi.
Any kissing here will cause sparks in the very literal sense, as Monday saw the return of Xintiandi's 'Kissmas Tree'.
The idea is that couples stand at the foot of a massive Christmas tree, touch the mistletoe hanging above, and kiss – thus completing a circuit and lighting up the surrounding decorations.
The installation was originally conceived by Paul Cocksedge Studio. ‘People and the way they connect are integral to the piece,' Cocksedge told us in 2013 when the project first came to Shanghai. 'When couples move to the stage and kiss, their act of kissing activates a light sequence in the canopy above and illuminates it. With high tech installations there can sometimes be a disconnect, but with [this work] it’s people’s touch that brings the technology to life.’
Having first appeared in Milan, then London’s Covent Garden, the installation has been adapted for Shanghai in that it is (of course) much, much bigger; and incorporates the city’s traditional flower, the magnolia.
For each kiss, Xintiandi will be donating money to charity – so far, the installation has raised more than 3 million RMB. From your end, the altruistic angle is especially good because if you bring a date here and they refuse to pucker up, you can relentlessly guilt trip them until they do.
The 'Kissmas Tree' installation is at Xintiandi South Block until January 3, 2016.
