Under Garden《庭園之下》(2025) is reconstructed from fragmented memories of pine trees, immersing the viewer in lofty conifers, stimulating all the senses simultaneously. A 180 square foot bed of strewn pine needles releases a natural fragrance and offers a soft, tactile sensation underfoot, beckoning participants into a one-of-a-kind garden encounter.

Visitors are cordially invited to play the Steel and Stone Piano (2023), a sculptural instrument created by the artist and international design duo Batten & Kamp. As music is played, shapes and patterns of pine trees emerge, realizing the full and varied visual potential of the artwork through direct engagement.

ording to the Song Dynasty’s Record of Famous Gardens in Luoyang, the ideal garden should embody six qualities: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and scenic views. However, it is difficult for all six to coexist: “Space lacks seclusion; what is rich in human craftsmanship lacks antiquity; where there is abundant water and springs, it is hard to enjoy distant views.” Uniquely, Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, is named for possessing all six of these qualities.

The artist sought to interpret these six qualities through modern digital art. The Steel and Stone Piano resembles a pavilion at the centre of a garden pond, generating various scenic moods through musical performance — a digital pursuit of the ideal garden landscape once imagined by the ancients.

Under Garden continues Henry Chu’s digital bonsai project When You Lose Something You Cannot Replace (2025) and the interactive installation Under Pine Stone Piano (2023).

《庭園之下》是由媒體藝術家朱力行創作的松樹庭園體驗，這個由破碎松樹記憶重建而成的體驗會激發聽覺、視覺、嗅覺和觸覺。觀眾可以隨意演奏由 Henry 及 Batten & Kamp 創作的 Steel and Stone Piano（2023）鋼琴裝置，音樂會轉化為松樹的形狀和圖案，創造出動態的視覺體驗。這個作品是數碼盆景作品《如果你失去無法替代的東西》(2025) 和互動裝置《松下石琴》(2023)的延續。地上會鋪滿了180平方英尺的松針，當人們踩上去時會釋放出自然的香氣，及感受到腳下柔軟的質感，邀請觀眾參與一場獨特的庭園體驗。

根據宋朝《洛陽名園記》，庭園景色有六種風貌，「宏大」、「幽邃」、「人力」、「蒼古」、「水泉」、「眺望」。但這六勝很難同時共存，「宏大者，少幽邃。人力勝者，少蒼古。水泉多者，艱眺望」。(日本石川縣金澤的兼六園，就是以擁有這六種特色而命名)

"我嘗試以現代數碼藝術嘅方法，去演繹這六種風貌，(Steel and Stone Piano)石琴就好像庭園池中間的亭，根據演奏音樂產生各種風貌。嘗試追求古人想像中的理想庭園風景。"

Exhibition period ：12-14 Sep 2025

Collab and image credit @batten_and_kamp