Wei Jie Claudiamente@hotmail.com A NEW immersive exhibition that blends speculative design, technology-based art and philosophical inquiry has opened in Shekou, highlighting an emerging approach to exhibition-making that emphasizes immersive narrative, meticulous craft and cross-disciplinary collaboration. “Lair: Relics for the Future,” by Icelandic artist Sruli Recht and presented by Orenda Art, brings Recht’s “Alternative Creatures” lineage to Asia in full for the first time, presenting nearly 70 works that distill decades of his thinking. The nearly 1,000‑square‑meter show is arranged into 11 linked zones. Following a tightly controlled narrative route, the curatorial team weaves objects, space, scent and sound into a continuous, tension‑filled experience that moves beyond conventional display. A standout is a copper‑woven vessel named “Water Oracle” (水谕). When electrified in seawater, the vessel encourages natural crystal growth across its surface — a hybrid of ancient weaving and marine accretion that blurs the boundary between the natural and the artificial. Recht’s practice intentionally challenges design orthodoxies, operating at the intersection of design, art and philosophy. The exhibition’s finale, “Phantom Drive” (幻驱), draws many visitors with its conceptual provocation. Concealed inside the work is the pin of a simulated grenade, used as a metaphorical “switch” of desire; the exterior is encrusted with 3,281 diamonds, producing a luminous, unsettling counterpoint to the piece’s underlying tension. Creative producer Liu Jingling said at the launch that the project tested the team’s limits: “This exhibition is a full‑scale experiment in everything from ‘material grammar’ to ‘sensory space construction.’ We faced systemic challenges: realizing the artist’s highly conceptual ideas in material form, and integrating soundscapes and scent seamlessly into the viewing experience.” Orenda Art CEO Cheng Xue’er described “Lair” as central to the organization’s mission: “We continually explore the intersections of technology, humanism, craft and artistic ideas. Lair is more than an exhibition; it’s a highly interactive, multi‑sensory arena engaged with social contexts.” The exhibition also features a partnership from CARAXY (凯丽希), a leading domestic brand in lab-grown diamonds. CARAXY contributed to the production of “Phantom Drive,” a partnership the organizers frame as a long-term resonance between technology, nature and art. Recht, born in Jerusalem, previously worked at Alexander McQueen in London and now lives and works between Australia and Iceland. He is internationally known for forward‑looking explorations of materials and making. Dates: Through March 3, 2026 Venue: L1, Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Shekou, Nanshan District (南山区海上世界文化艺术中心) Metro: Line 2 or 12 to Sea World Station (海上世界站), Exit A | 