During a three-month residency at the Swatch Peace Art Hotel, Yulong Lli developed a series of works inspired by the building’s layered history and atmosphere. Living and working in the historic space, he became fascinated by the stories embedded in its architecture, where the city’s everyday reality gradually shifts into something dreamlike from day to night.

The first piece draws inspiration from the striking entrance of the hotel at the end of East Nanjing Road. Each evening when returning, the glow of the chandelier beneath the glass roof evoked cinematic imagery for Yulong, like a moth drawn to light, or a woman in a cheongsam stepping out of a spy film.

The second work was inspired by the view from his studio. The curtains across the room were never opened, leaving the scene hidden and inviting imagination. Observing the red carpet, staircase, and shifting shadows at night, Yulong imagined what might exist behind those unseen corners, perhaps even the presence of a red dragon emerging from the darkness.