Shen Liang: Morning Bell, Evening Drum
Shijiazhuang
September 20 – November 2, 2025
Shen Liang: Morning Bell Evening Drum
Shen Liang: Morning Bell, Evening Drum
Artist: Shen Liang
Exhibition: Morning Bell，Evening Drum
Duration: September 20 – November 2, 2025
Most of the works on view were made during journeys or on casual walks. Rooflines, stone steps, colonnades, weathered steles, and the occasional figure or animal populate the pictures. With a sharp eye and a relaxed hand, Shen compresses time, place, and feeling onto paper and canvas, creating a body of work that reads like a visual diary. These paintings are not simply records of place but moments of pause and reflection, as if the distant resonance of bells and drums could still be heard within the noise of contemporary life.
“Most of these works were done on the road, without a set theme—more like instinctive visual responses. The silent endurance of old architecture makes me stop, makes me want to paint. Morning bell, evening drum is also about rhythm—the rhythm of life, the rhythm of time.”
Alongside larger works, the exhibition will also feature small sketches from Shen’s travels through northwest, southwest, and central China, as well as fragments drawn from his daily life in Beijing. Together they reveal the artist’s dual gaze—toward both traditional spaces and modern routines—and the unique vitality of painting as an immediate, ritual act.
Following six months of renovation work, the foundational structure of the church has been reinforced, and the roof, windows, and walls have been restored, meticulously reviving the appearance of this village-level church prior to its abandonment. Consequently, our team is delighted to announce the inaugural opening of the church space for an exhibition on April 27th.
During the preparation for the opening exhibition, we have been pondering over what type of exhibition should be presented in such a specific space and how to conceptualize it. Though numerous ideas for exhibition planning have crossed our minds, whenever we are in the village of Beizhangcheng where the church is located, these curatorial plans and concepts seem deliberate and pale in the face of this ancient village. Especially at the end of 2023, when we, along with artists, came here after a heavy snowfall and saw several elderly people sunbathing in the village, one of them holding a baby not yet a year old - dressed in thick overalls, with a rosy red face, and a layer of chapped skin - the natural, primitive health, and vitality were unforgettable, gradually dissipating our somewhat superficial cultural imagination of this space...
Thus, for this opening exhibition, we have decided not to impose a specific theme and to forego the conventional release of a list of participating artists. Instead, we will rely on personal perceptions to select appropriate artists and their works to gradually enter this space, allowing a gradual connection to form between them, with time facilitating the revival and transformation of the space, and the inherent power of art guiding the space's attributes. After the exhibition opens, we will periodically introduce featured artworks and artists, together witnessing the process of their integration with this village church space under natural light.
So, we warmly welcome everyone to personally.
Exhibition Guidelines:
Due to its location within the Taihang Mountains, Hunsand Space (Shijiazhuang) is relatively remote, and thus, except for the exhibition opening, daily visits require prior reservations.
1.The scheduled visiting times are from Friday through Sunday every week(10:00-18:00). During other national holidays, please refer to the official WeChat notifications from the gallery for timely updates. For requests to visit during unscheduled periods, kindly send an email detailing your purpose and any exceptional circumstances; we will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.
2.Reservation can be made either directly by scanning the QR code below or scan the QR code to add the gallery's customer service WeChat account. When contacting them, be sure to indicate the number of visitors, the desired date, and the specific time slot. Based on the prevailing conditions at that time, we will confirm whether the reservation has been successfully made. In order to secure your preferred time slot, it is recommended to book at least one week in advance.
3.Location and Parking: Please navigate to the church space using the provided GPS coordinates or directions. Parking is available both in the northern and southern areas of Beizhangcheng Village, near the banks of the Gantao River.
观展预约Exhibition Reservation：
Photography Guidelines:
1.In consideration of gallery and church management, we do not permit personal or small-scale photography sessions for purely commercial purposes, especially those involving individual portraits, wedding and family photoshoots, or clothing photography. We warmly welcome all visitors to appreciate the exhibitions with a respectful attitude towards art and the artists' creative endeavors.
2.For individuals who wish to bring along a photographer and professional equipment for personal non-commercial shoots, it is essential to contact us in advance. Failure to do so may result in our right to terminate your visitation.
Important Notices:
1.Please ensure you adhere to your reserved visiting times; should any special circumstances arise necessitating a change in your appointment, kindly inform us beforehand to make the necessary adjustments.
2.To allow everyone an intimate experience with the church space and the exhibited works, we have not installed barriers within the exhibition area. We kindly request that visitors maintain a safe distance from the exhibits and refrain from touching them. Should any artwork be damaged due to personal actions, compensation at its full value will be required.
3.In the event of unforeseen circumstances leading to the suspension or cancellation of the exhibition, we will promptly notify you and arrange for an alternative viewing time.
Once again, we express our sincere gratitude for your interest in Ten Thousand Space. We look forward to welcoming you to the heart of the Taihang Mountains.
For any inquiries or assistance needed, please feel free to contact us anytime.
