Ephemeral Gardens: Reclaiming the Land of Longing

"Inspired by ancient Chinese poet Tao Yuanming’s idyllic peach garden and digital influencer Li Ziqi’s serene videos, Weimin Zhu finds solace in nurturing plants as a momentary escape from urban pressures. Ephemeral Gardens: Reclaiming the Land of Longing reimagines how to nurture land and growth within an extractive consumer system.

Discarded supermarket packaging is transformed using traditional Chinese rubbing techniques that add textures and patterns—symbolising cultural heritage and personal memories—into an arable landscape the designer longs for but cannot reach. This cultivation of creativity parallels the nurturing of plants and seeds. Watering becomes a ritual embodying Weimin’s yearning, while accelerating the decay of consumerism. The project meditates on humanity’s relationship with nature and consumerism, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit’s innate desire to nurture life."