Jumping into a ball pit? Zhang Dali's exhibition knows how to play

Just a month after Shenzhen artist Shen Shaomin transformed the exhibition halls of the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning into an ice cave with real snow, another local artist, Zhang Dali, now has created a huge ball pit there — inviting visitors to dive in for fun while exploring his new exhibition, “PONG!”.

The pit, filled with a sea of red balls, is one of the eight installations that merge design, spatial experience, and public participation. 

Visitors have fun in the ball pit at Zhang Dali’s “PONG!” exhibition at Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning. Photos courtesy of the exhibition organizers unless otherwise stated 

Other works include red curtains that create a theater-like atmosphere; a mirrored maze where visitors open and close doors to trigger a “pong” sound; a disco room with red pillows as the walls and an iconic disco ball hanging from the ceiling; and sound-altering devices that produce strange, distorted echoes. 

Everything is red — and everything is immersive.

Artworks on display.

A disco room with red pillows as the walls and an iconic disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Photo by Cao Zhen

The entrance to the mirrored maze. Photo by Cao Zhen

“I was afraid at the beginning, fearing I might lose something from my pocket when I was in the ball pit,” Berlin-based artist Daniel Knorr told Shenzhen Daily after climbing out of the ball pit. 

“It’s Shenzhen — everything is new, interesting, shocking, and special,” Knorr said.

Zhang explains that the exhibition title “PONG!” — like the sound “pong” — is a break in calm, a kind of clash or awakening. It creates an encounter between symbols and the body; and the exhibition’s intense red color symbolizes vitality.

As a designer working in Shenzhen for nearly four decades, Zhang translates design principles — order, rhythm, scale, and structure — into an open-ended contemporary art language. The result is a unique intersection of rationality and emotion, everyday experience and theatrical space.

Visitors take selfies at the exhibition.

An artwork is on display at the plaza of the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning.

Artworks on display.

“PONG!” is both a personal visual statement by Zhang and a lively reflection of the city’s visual culture — yet it also leaves room for viewers to experience it in their own way.

Knorr, who frequently visits Shenzhen for his own exhibitions, expressed that this kind of unconventional art “puts you in other conditions — it elevates you, makes you forget about everyday life. It can be a new shocking moment for all of us — something like a challenge.”

He also reflected on how Shenzhen inspires his creations. “Shenzhen is a city that generates a lot of energy. I have many friends here — it’s like a second home. Every time I come, it’s more interesting. I’m happy to be here.”

Daniel Knorr (L) laughs with a visitor who is about to jump into the ball pit. Photo by Cao Zhen

Artworks on display. Photo by Cao Zhen

Dates: Through July 31

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mondays

Tickets: 48-68 yuan

Venue: Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning, Futian District 深圳市当代艺术与城市规划馆

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit A2