Exhibition View
The "XIAOYOU · Roundtable" space in the core of Shanghai has been upgraded to a cultural event venue for the "XIAOYOU" brand. On May 27, 2025, it made its debut in collaboration with Leo Gallery, presenting artist Yuan Ye's solo project "Xun" (Pilgrimage).
The origin of "Xun" lies in "XIAOYOU's" commitment to the contemporary reinterpretation of Eastern spirituality. Born in the 1990s, artist Yuan Ye navigates between ritual and deconstruction. Taking the Diamond Sutra as his creative point of departure, he invites viewers to re-examine the dialectical relationship between spirit and matter. His series include "Mount Sumeru," "Ten Directions," and "Infinite." "No Self" deconstructs the ego to explore pathways to spiritual freedom in the contemporary world, while the "Infinite" series confronts the spiritual predicaments of the material age, questioning the very essence of life.
Following the initial collaboration between "XIAOYOU" and Leo Gallery at "XIAOYOU · Yiyuan," the curatorial spirit of experimenting with non-white-box exhibition spaces continues in this exhibition. Artist Yuan Ye has created a new body of work specifically for this space, unfolding propositions that were previously difficult to articulate. The installation Like a Stone, paired with a set of black chairs from "XIAOYOU's" collection, invites viewers into prolonged contemplation of ego-attachment as solid as stone. The site-specific installation Mother, using building blocks as metaphor, reveals both the warmth of life's continuity and the complex composition of cultural DNA. The interplay of virtual and solid structures in the works engages in a dialogue across time and space with the ink-black interiors of "XIAOYOU · Roundtable." These expressions of restrained Eastern aesthetics resonate with "XIAOYOU's" philosophy that "space is content."
The exhibition title "Xun" carries a dual meaning: it is both the artist's ongoing inquiry into the essence of life and a reflection of "XIAOYOU's" cultural exploration through space. The English title Pilgrimage further underscores the unwavering spirit of this quest.
"XIAOYOU" strives to demonstrate that the transmission of Eastern spirituality never requires replicating ancient forms. Just as Yuan Ye transforms sutra texts into rhythmic visual cadences, true cultural DNA always finds its own way of breathing in the contemporary context.