a cube, Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts(University Town Campus)
2026/10/06 14:30 - 16:30

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A short while ago, we completed the spatial design for the exhibition *Roots, Currents, Storms: Rehearsing a Language to Come*, curated by Stephanie Sipei Lu, at the University Town Campus Art Museum of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Taking this opportunity, and at the invitation of Ms Yu Xiuyuan from the museum, we returned to the venue to run a workshop.

We brought along offcuts of Finnish pine left over from the exhibition space construction, as well as everyday found objects, to serve as base materials for participants to freely mix and match. We used simple techniques—such as bench drills and electric drills—to join the various components.

I recall inviting my friends Tangtang and Alun to the studio; they carefully tended to the plants at the sink, adjusting the water level to sit just at the base of the roots so that the roots could absorb water whilst still allowing for adequate aeration. With their participation, everything returned to the essence of plants and everyday life: why we need plants in our daily lives, and how we can use simple, readily available materials and tools to create a home where plants feel at ease.

Before we began making vases in the workshop, Alun shared how he grows weeds such as devil’s-claw, sweet potato leaves, Chinese milkvetch and pearlwort on his rooftop; how he’s been learning and experimenting with composting; and how he lets the plants form a small ecosystem together. 
Tang Tang often takes her air plants with her wherever she goes; sometimes they’re on her well-ventilated balcony, sometimes on her mum’s fridge, and this time they made an appearance at the workshop too. Based on the air plants’ habits, she’d created a humidification chamber and a ‘bathhouse’ for them.

After the participants had finished making their vases, everyone gathered earnestly on the floor by the window, placing their vases in their favourite spots on the terrain to create a lively ‘bird market sand table’.

Thank you to Wang Chao for setting up the sound system, which allowed everyone to listen to music for the plants throughout the event. Thank you also to everyone who came along to join in the fun, and we hope the plants you’ve taken home settle in well.