This exhibition is faithful to that spirit of the garden, updating it and seeking to make it relevant to the 21st century, to generate a dialogue between past and present, art and nature without disturbing the original beauty of gardens. Each of the contemporary artworks displayed in the garden are like wires connecting the past with our present, making it closer to us. Symbols of the past need to be made alive and brought into the present in order to be understood and revered. The visitor is provided with a map and invited to wander around the trees and pavilions and discover the contemporary artworks scattered around the two gardens.

The garden is an allegory of the world, a microcosm of our planet. Our knowledge and perception of what the world is has radically changed since the Song dynasty when Canglang ting was built. The art in this exhibition reflects upon that change. In terms of culture: Our world is broader, globalized, the artists of the exhibitions are not only from the Jiangnan region, but come from all across China and the world. In terms of ideas: their works go beyond the poetic and speak directly to numerous issues the world is facing today, about consumption, environment, architecture, technology, science...and in terms of medium, traditional mediums such as ink painting, wood carvings and ceramics are displayed in their most current form and joined with more contemporary medium such as photography, video and 3D printed installations.