The title of the exhibition refers to the Chinese landscape painting that presents what is thought about nature rather than what is seen in it, and to the cross-cultural exchange between Swiss and Chinese artists and scientists.

During five months the artists — two Chinese and two Swiss — explored, learnt and bridged the cultural gaps of understanding at renowned science institutes with focus on environmental issues related to mountain (shan) and water (shui). This immersive encounter was an adventurous journey that challenged the participants’ views on current environmental issues and art practices. In various ways, the art works accentuate the role of place, community and culture in relation to scientific fact. The artists personal interpretations help to expand the viewer’s field of vision about “natural” and “cultural” spaces. The DVD documentation in the exhibition reveals the results of a “reality jam” between the artists and scientists involved.

Mountain and water, shan and shui. We invite the audience to explore this emerged landscape of cultural interaction, taking in turns the position of the artist, the scientist, with either a Swiss or a Chinese background and to look both ways.