Roots are the origin of all things. They have always been intertwined with plant ecological phenomena and humanistic thinking on the era. In the "Zaiyou", the additional chapter of the "Zhuangzi" says, all things return to their roots, all things return to their roots without knowing it [1]. It emphasises that the prosperity of all things is due to the natural growth force of following the roots and essence. In nature, roots are the most important organs for plant survival. They germinate from seeds, growing a terminal bud at the front, a taproot downwards, and lateral and adventitious roots on the side. The root system is essential for supporting, transporting, storing, communicating, reproducing, and promoting plant growth and synthesising organic substance.

In the context of fluid multiculturalism, social trends and cultural globalisation, curator and writer Nicolas Bourriaud defines "radicant" as the root system of an organism that gradually increases after taking root. "Radicant" means that the roots are dynamic, placing them in a heterogeneous context and form, denying the absolute power of individual identity, conceptual translation, image decoding, transplant behaviour, and communicating rather than imposing [2]. The development form of plant roots provides a vivid thinking structure for religious philosophy, humanities and art and becomes a complex metaphor of thought and culture.

The fundamental factor that determines the growth of plants lies in the newly generated root tip vitality, that is, the density and sensitivity of mycorrhiza, which penetrates the surface of the earth like a fibre optic grid to weave visible and invisible life mechanisms in the strata. The title of “Shen Gen”, is a dynamic interpretation of this vigorous vitality. It is composed of multi-semantic homophones, which not only expresses the growth trend of the plant's tangled roots constantly spreading deep into the earth (enrooting), but also metaphorically represents the optimisation of environmental conditions and methods to continuously exert focused, in-depth and efficient performance (deep ploughing). The associations triggered by the cultural archetype of the root system constitute the thinking basis of this exhibition. With their energetic activity and new force, the group of emerging artists unfold each individualistic practice and methodologies, which reflects their diversified thinking dimensions and expressions, through cutting-edge technologies and media to demonstrate their insightful observation, contemplation and narration of the times. The works of each artist are intertwined in the underground exhibition hall, forming a " peculiarity and wonder in shape and structure, each with a different view" [3]. This is the essence of entering this fascinating bizarre metaphorical dimension.

ZHI Art Museum is built beside the mountains and rivers, just like a natural object rooted in the mountain. The underground exhibition hall sinks into the stratum and returns to the soil, carrying works that nurture ideas, creations and inspirations, interweaving and coexisting in the maze of interconnected mycelial root network. It breaks through the soil from the bottom to the top of the mountain and grows roots, stems, leaves and flowers. The representative works of the four artists organically form a natural geological landscape layout with embedded complex cultural implications in the space, which are composed of "Waterfall", "Cave Corridor" and "River land". This also becomes a viewing structure and spiritual thinking route along the journey of exploration.

The waterfall is regarded as the closest representative of the Taoist thinking to The Way due to its endless water circulation. Zhang Wenxin's "Hogen II" tilts down in the presentation of a digital waterfall, forming a dynamic meditative field of spectacle including sound, light and moving images, along with the suspenseful stories in Zhao Renhui's "A Guide to the World's Flora and Fauna" in the towering atrium. Both artists extend the viewing perspective to focus on both macro and micro scenes in photography, new media and installation based on the influence, observation and reflection generated by the relationship between humans and nature. The "abnormality" that occurs in the natural world under human intervention imbues it with a convincing appearance and fictional narrative.

Inspired by the "phenomenon", the route leads to the deep cave after the water curtain. In karst geology, the intricate passage system in the cave is called "the underground Corridor". Here, it is a metaphor for the liminal stage in drama theory and is similar to the rite of passage in anthropological activities. It means to extend the gap between two fields indefinitely through rituals, games, or literary and artistic creations. Zhang Wenxin's series of works, "SubSurfaceSaṁsedaja", imitates the environment to generate a way of life between non-dualistic classification concepts. In this undefinable passage, we rethink the relationship between humans and non-humans, machines and fungi, inorganic and organic matter, and imagine becoming the other, shaping the labyrinth of interpretation and constantly experiencing sensory deformation.

The road to the exit is bound to go through forks, just like the inevitable lost path of individuals between the real and spiritual worlds. In the virtual landscape, Liu Yi's work "A Travel Inward" echoes the local geopolitical history. It forms cyber-spiritual river lands that intersect natural and artificial construction with Cao Shu's video work " Contains it like lines of hand" generated by electronic games. Their works trace back to their roots and focus on personal family history and individual spiritual profiles. The artists also imagine the body as a mountain where gods dwell, building an ideal and secret temple based on animation and digital media. The last work on display, " Origin of Species", connects the waterfall zone from beginning to end. From the perspective of non-anthropocentrism - a bacterium imagines the concept of "reverse reincarnation" in Darwin's theory of evolution, that is, the degeneration of complex life forms into primitive single-cell microorganisms. This absurd and bizarre "self-destruction" of nature reflects the shocking conflicts, isolation and contradictions between human activities and the natural world, revealing that we are already at the center of substantial environmental problems.

The exhibition hall resembles a mountain spirit in a cave, which gives the sense of straying into the Peach Blossom Spring while roaming in the wondrous. But it is not for seclusion but for enlightenment through illusion. Pursuing extraordinary and strange scenery is not about travelling far away in an illusory way but about understanding the laws and essence of things here and now. One steps into it to seek a spiritual nomadic journey of mysterious knowledge understands the connection between the individual and the environment, completes the internalisation of self-contemplation and enlightenment, and manifests the spirit into reality. This exhibition adopts the vitality of the roots hidden deep in the earth to show keen thinking on individual identity, social issues, and natural ecology. Through their novel practice, they construct a surreal underground scene to echo the urgent situation of the real world. Artworks are the outcomes of personal expression, the medium of social change, and cultural dialogue. Under the influence of new technologies and media in the digital age, this exhibition provides viewers with a passage between transition and transcendence to connect the relationship between individuals and the world.

Above the soil, inside the tree, in the corner of a root or branch, a new rhizome may have formed.


[1] Zhuangzi·Zaiyou, “All things throng and flourish, but each returns to its root. Each returns to its root, and yet they do not know it!”
[2] Nicolas Bourriaud, The Radicant, 2009, Sternberg Press
[3] Ban Gu (Han), Ode to the Western Capital