Sculpture, Plants and Mythology shape an 'Indoor Park'

A garden has taken shape underground at Jing'an Sculpture Park, where contemporary artworks are being placed among real plants in an exhibition exploring mythology, ecology and humanity's relationship with nature.

"Garden Shaping – Mythic Plants & Ethereal Homeland" opened at the Jing'an Sculpture Park Art Center as part of the 9th China Shanghai Jing'an International Sculpture Project.

Rather than presenting the works in a conventional white-cube gallery, the exhibition transforms the art center's two underground floors into an extension of the surrounding park.

Sculpture, light, plants, and landscaping create an "indoor park," with a landscaping company helping set up the exhibition.

The exhibition takes plants as one of its central motifs and mythology as a point of departure.

The curatorial statement states that plants have long appeared in myths and legends across civilizations, and gardens have symbolized beauty, imagination, and longing.

Trees, flowers, and other plant imagery connect contemporary art to life and ecology.

Some works use natural forms, while others reimagine growth, transformation and regeneration. With living plants in the galleries, they create a setting where art and nature interact.

The exhibition also emphasizes the idea that nature is not separate from urban life. By extending the landscape of Jing'an Sculpture Park into the indoor galleries, organizers hope to create a closer encounter between contemporary sculpture and the natural environment.

The curatorial text describes the Sculpture Park Art Center as both an extension of the park's natural context and a continuation of its public-art space.

If you go

Dates: September 28-December 31

Venue: Jing'an Sculpture Park Art Center

Address: 128 Shimen Rd No.2 石门二路128号