Day & Night日游夜谈

Day & Night 日游夜谈 is a self-organised, self-funded travelling gathering of artists, curators, researchers and writers: roaming by day, and talking about work and life by night. It was initiated by artist Chen Xiaoyi and curator Damien Zhang; each season is hosted in a different place.

Season 2: Boshan, Shandong (29 August – 3 September 2025)

Day & Night Season 2 travelled to Boshan, Shandong, from late August to early September 2025. It was led by Nie Xiaoyi, a Season 1 member, with support from the project’s co-initiators, artist Chen Xiaoyi and curator Damien Zhang. The other members were art practitioner Huang Yuting and artists Lin Yulong, Lillian Lijuan Liu, Wan Qing, Xiao Longhua and Zhang Beichen.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly why I decided to take on the second edition of Day & Night. Perhaps it began last year, during a visit to the Red Estate in Xundian, when I saw the row of single-storey houses and courtyards at Haoran’s home and was reminded of my parents’ summer house in Boshan. Or perhaps it was simply because the previous trip had been so joyful – everyone seemed unusually relaxed and at ease. At first, I thought this sense of ease came from stepping away from the contemporary art centre. Later, I realised that was not the case; it was because everyone was already quite at ease to begin with.

Around this event, I spent three weeks in Boshan: one week preparing, one week with invited friends, and one week wrapping things up. I came to see that what we call “preparation” largely consisted of what my parents have always done – working to turn a house into a “home”: cleaning the rooms, making the beds, stocking wine, meat and vegetables, and making every corner feel comfortable. I also realised how limited my own knowledge of my hometown was. I learned about mountain plants from my mother and talked with my parents about little-known spots tucked away in the valleys.

This time, I finally learned how to drive, even though I drove very slowly. While navigating the mountain roads, I kept thinking that to be a host is to hold, with generosity and expansiveness, the time that guests arriving from afar spend here.

I feel very happy that my friends came to my hometown and that we were able to make a round together. My thanks to my mom, dad and my friends for their support.

Season 1: Xundian, Yunnan (winter 2024)

In the winter of 2024, we spent six days in Xundian, Yunnan. If not for Day & Night, I probably would never have come here, let alone visited the “Red Manor”, a site named after the Red Army once passed through. There were eight of us, split into two cars. By day we roamed across the Hui and Yi Autonomous County of Xundian; by evening we returned to a row of modest one-storey dwellings, where we sat together and talked about our work and our lives.

What struck me most was how relaxed everyone was. Perhaps because everyone there was a trusted friend of the organisers – the best way to meet new people is often through a mutual friend. Another reason was probably Xundian’s unexpected cold, which stripped away the effort of keeping up appearances. On the highland pastures, thick fog spread like smoke; I watched Yi and Damien, hands shoved into their pockets, stomping their feet as they jogged along, and felt a sudden joy, as if the cold had teased out the comical yet unguarded side of everyone.

I was the only one on this trip who didn’t use a PowerPoint. While our group was devouring food at Yuan Yi Café, I shared my reflections as a “survivor of contemporary art” – later written up as Contemporary Art Survivor.

The trip later became the shared ground of the exhibition Tossing Stones at Nature Art Centre, Shenzhen (2025).

Looking back on Season 1: Broadcast Station Ep01, recorded for the exhibition Tossing Stones, Shenzhen, 2025.