「The 2nd Shenzhen Guangming International Public Art Season」
On November 28, amid the golden light of autumn in Guangming, the Second Shenzhen Guangming International Public Art Season opened with the exhibition “Being in Nature”.
Unlike a typical grand opening, this unique event unfolded as a gentle invitation to wander through nature—a call for guests and visitors to step out of the urban jungle and return to the park's natural setting.
Throughout the opening day, a series of site-specific artistic narratives took shape, ranging from panel discussions and guided tours to the official inauguration and the unveiling of the Public Art Pavilion. As the day progressed, the intricate relationships between the artworks, architectural space, natural landscape, and public urban life gradually became focused, revealed through conversation, exploration, and contemplation.
“Speaking of Nature Within Nature”
— Opening Academic Forum
— Opening Academic Forum
On the rooftop terrace of Rixi Pavilion, bathed in warm sunlight and overlooking the expansive greenery of Rainbow Bridge Park, guests and audience members gathered to listen as six distinguished speakers from diverse fields engaged in a cross-disciplinary dialogue.
Architects Liu Heng, Zhang Yuxing, and Han Jing, artists Shen Shaomin, Guan Huaibin, and Shen Lieyi, and renowned urban planner Zhu Rongyuan offered fresh perspectives as they explored themes such as the subtle interventions of art and humility in architecture and urban design. In this setting, which is deeply embedded in nature, they spoke thoughtfully of nature and within nature.
Forum moderator Shen Shaomin concluded with the reflection:
"Every architect is an artist. For me, there are no boundaries—nor should architects hold such boundaries in their minds."
This dialogue touched upon the core issues at the intersection of public art and architecture: In an age of rapid urbanization, can architecture form an organic symbiosis with nature? And is the artist's role in public space evolving—from that of a creator to that of a coordinator?
The forum offered new dimensions and boundaries for understanding public art, prompting deeper reflection on how public art, architecture, and urban design can generate meaning through their relationships with public space and the natural world.
“Light Within Guangming”
— Opening Ceremony & Speeches
— Opening Ceremony & Speeches
The Shenzhen Guangming International Public Art Season is one of Guangming’s top ten cultural brands, and each annual exhibition leaves a lasting artistic imprint on the district.
In his opening remarks, Wu Zhiwei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangming District Party Committee and Head of the Publicity Department, stated:
“Public art is a vivid vehicle of urban culture. The beautiful mountains, rivers, forests, fields, and lakes of Guangming Science City are a shared stage for all artists to present their public art. Guangming District will, as always, support the development of cultural initiatives and public art.”
Following this, curator and artist Shen Shaomin delivered a poetic opening speech, saying:
“Guangming itself is a symbol of hope. May art become the light within Guangming.”
Guests and audience members gathered to witness the official opening of the Second Shenzhen Guangming International Public Art Season – Being in Nature, marking a new chapter in the dialogue between art, nature, and public space.
In his opening remarks, Wu Zhiwei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangming District Party Committee and Head of the Publicity Department, stated:
“Public art is a vivid vehicle of urban culture. The beautiful mountains, rivers, forests, fields, and lakes of Guangming Science City are a shared stage for all artists to present their public art. Guangming District will, as always, support the development of cultural initiatives and public art.”
Following this, curator and artist Shen Shaomin delivered a poetic opening speech, saying:
“Guangming itself is a symbol of hope. May art become the light within Guangming.”
Guests and audience members gathered to witness the official opening of the Second Shenzhen Guangming International Public Art Season – Being in Nature, marking a new chapter in the dialogue between art, nature, and public space.
“From Rixi Pavilion to Moon Courtyard”
— Artist-Guided Tour
Led by artists Guan Huaibin, Shen Lieyi, and curator Shen Shaomin, guests were guided on a walk from Rixi Pavilion to Moon Courtyard. Along the way, the boundary between the natural and the man-made subtly blurred, as the exhibition path wove the two together. The artworks served as mediators—occupying the space between nature and construction, creating moments of reflection and resonance.
Guan Huaibin
Guan Huaibin’s work deconstructs elements of traditional culture and modes of perception, integrating them into his own visual language and structural framework. Drawing on the aesthetics of classical Chinese garden design, he incorporates these principles into spatial installations that evoke a rich sense of humanistic sentiment and poetic atmosphere. His spatial practice reveals a deep engagement with cultural heritage while reimagining it through contemporary forms.
“Light-Sound · Celestial Origin” Series
By Guan Huaibin
By Guan Huaibin