Wandering in the Garden
October 17 – November 30, 2025
April 15 – June 14, 2026
10:00 – 17:00
ARTROOT Gallery MAP
*Reservation Only
*Closed: irregularly – Please check the reservation page for details
The exhibition, titled “Wandering in the Garden”, takes its inspiration from Tang Xianzu’s classical Chinese drama The Peony Pavilion: The Interrupted Dream (《牡丹亭·游园惊梦》). It seeks to explore, through a dialogue between contemporary art and the traditional Eastern garden, the subtle interplay among individual perception, free will, and the order of nature. The exhibition space itself becomes a work of art: the traditional Japanese house and garden embody a sense of time steeped in tranquility and introspection, while Shen Lieyi’s sculptures resemble stones cast into still water, their delicate material ripples awakening the viewer to contemplate the essence of existence.
In The Peony Pavilion: The Interrupted Dream (《牡丹亭·游园惊梦》), Du Liniang breaks through the constraints of ritual and propriety within a dream, awakening to self-consciousness in the embrace of nature — a story that resonates across time with ARTROOT’s ideal of “returning to a pure relationship with art.” The exhibition does not merely replicate a classical narrative; rather, it responds to its spiritual core — the longing for free expression, reflection on established order, and reverence for nature and life — set against the swelling material desires and collective illusions of modern society. Just as Shen Lieyi’s sculptures intervene poetically within a silent space, they metaphorically suggest how art, with gentle yet enduring force, can awaken in individuals a renewed perception of the real world.
As if suddenly awakening from the garden-dream: art is like the hues of autumn — how few truly perceive it. “Wandering in the Garden” is both a physical walk through space and a journey of the spirit. It seeks, amid the accelerated pace of contemporary life, to create a contemplative realm reminiscent of a bygone age, inviting the audience, in the confluence of art and nature, to rediscover the more essential emotions and freedoms long obscured by the noise of the world.
Organizer : ARTROOT
Supported by : Art Trading Shanghai LLC., Crosslink Corp.
Cooperation : Shen Space, Sayo Yuan
Born in 1969 in Hangzhou, Shen Lieyi is a sculptor, curator, and Professor at the School of Sculpture and Public Art, China Academy of Art, where he also serves as a Ph.D. supervisor. Deeply influenced by nature and Eastern philosophy, Shen’s practice centers on natural motifs and explores relationships such as “hardness and softness,” “life and materiality,” “man and nature,” and “play and order.” Working primarily with water, stone, and wood, he employs the language of sculpture to express a poetic and contemplative aesthetic rooted in Daoist thought. His representative series, “Rain” and “Seesaw”, are marked by minimalist form and meditative spatiality, evoking spiritual tension and inner stillness. Shen has also been actively involved in curating and realizing public art projects across urban contexts in China, and is regarded as one of the most representative sculptors of his generation.
About ARTROOT GALLERY
ARTROOT was established as a space for individuals to enjoy art as part of life. The euphoria of the 20th century’s bubble economy seems to have been based on the idea that “the future is bright and open.” However, the COVID-19 pandemic has made people aware that this is merely an illusion. The premise that “the future is bright” has led to an attachment to material things, which has become the ego of nations, corporations, and organizations, causing various disruptions in society. ARTROOT aims to move away from such attachments and create an open world for individuals to simply enjoy art. ARTROOT GALLERY is not limited by location or form. We hope that, unconstrained by space or form, the individual’s horizons will freely expand along with art.
October, 2025
Organizer
