The Chinese artist Peng Zhang grew up in a farming family in southern China. In his work, he connects the (Chinese) agrarian culture with the world of art. As part of Paradys, Peng will work as an artist-in-residence at Bouwurk for the entire Arcadia period. On the Oldehoofsterkerkhof, right next to Bouwurk, he will create a garden — a space that will be both the garden of Bouwurk and Peng’s open-air studio. Here, he will build sculptures out of willow, wood, and soil, paint, grow vegetables, cook, and host workshops for visitors.
Central to Peng’s approach is the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which, unlike the Western calendar that divides the year into 12 months and 52 weeks, organizes time into 24 solar terms — each lasting about 15 to 16 days. For Chinese farmers, these solar terms have long guided decisions about when to plant and harvest specific crops, but they also indicate which days are considered lucky or unlucky.
By working in accordance with this ancient — yet unfamiliar in the Western world — rhythm, Peng invites visitors in Leeuwarden to experience a different pace of life and to reflect on how we relate to the earth, the seasons, the stars — and one another.