On 17 April, Dr John Atkin, Reader in Fine Art and Director of Internationalisation at Loughborough University, presented his newly commissioned four-metre bronze sculpture, ‘Confluence’, that explores the relationship between the city, natural landscape and human experience, particularly drawing on the physical existence of Shenzhen Bay where it was installed.
One Shenzhen Bay (also known as Shenzhen Bay No.1) is a mixed-use skyscraper development located in the Houhai district of Shenzhen, one of China’s fastest-growing cities, with a focus on modern architecture and urban eco-living. The event marked the launch of a new cultural and exhibition space within the complex: the Bay View Art Centre. Designed to bring together global artists and audiences, the centre continues the Shenzhen development’s commitment to integrating art with urban living and creating platforms for international exchange.
Atkin’s bronze sculpture also draws from the gestural language of the Cantonese Water Sleeve dance, encapsulating the fluidity of its form through its curved and draping construction.
Speaking about his sculpture and the event, Dr Atkin said: "One Shenzhen Bay is not merely architecture, but a convergence of the city, the landscape, and the living experience. The work expresses a cyclical movement: return, folding, and continuous flow. It embodies both the physical existence of the bay and the rhythm and continuity of humanity. My intention is not to interfere with the space, but to extend it, enabling the sculpture to engage in a dialogue with the architecture and the water body, thereby forming a shared realm."
Dr Atkin is an internationally recognised sculptor who has presented keynote papers at major forums, including the China Sculpture Forum and international conferences focused on art and the post-industrial city. Alongside his academic role at Loughborough, he is an Honorary Fellow at the National Academy of Sculpture in Beijing and Fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors in London.
Atkin’s contribution to the inauguration of the Bay View Art Centre marks another step forward for both One Shenzhen Bay and the University’s engagement with global art and cultural initiatives.