On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, a lecture titled “From Artist Studio to Public Art Museum: Spatial Transformation and Operational Practice of the ‘Tuzhu Nest’” was held at Nanjing Normal University. The session featured Yin Min, Executive Director and Curator of the Tuzhu Nest · Luo Xu Art Museum, who offered an in-depth analysis of the transformation of the artist Luo Xu’s “Tuzhu Nest” from a private studio into a public art museum. Drawing on concrete cases, she shared strategies, operational models, and hands-on experience, presenting students with a lecture that combined theoretical insight with practical relevance.
At the outset, Yin introduced the creator of Tuzhu Nest, the Yunnan-based artist Luo Xu. Rooted in the local environment, Luo constructed this unique space using approximately three million red bricks, without formal architectural drawings and guided largely by intuition. The resulting structure appears to grow organically from the red earth, embodying a raw, vital, and almost primal sense of life.
Yin then focused on the logic behind the transformation from artist studio to public museum. She emphasized that the key principle lies in minimal intervention and the preservation of the site’s original organic structure. While safeguarding the artistic spirit of the space, the project also established a professional museum operation system, seeking a balance between the individuality of the site and its public accessibility. Unlike conventional “white cube” galleries, Tuzhu Nest features a labyrinth-like spatial layout. Its exhibitions are curated by “following the narrative of the architecture,” allowing the building itself to guide the viewing experience. The exhibition titled “Poetry of Rootedness” is organized into four thematic chapters—“Living Room,” “Solitude,” “Expression,” and “Nest-Building”—which together articulate the artist’s creative trajectory.
In terms of curatorial and public education practices, Tuzhu Nest actively breaks down the boundaries between art and the public. The museum has initiated the “Tuyangyu” artist residency program, collaborating with the Yunnan University of the Arts and local artisans to bring art closer to everyday life and broaden public engagement.
Through this lecture, Yin Min clearly demonstrated the revitalization pathway of a non-typical art space, offering a vivid and instructive case for fields such as arts management and curatorial practice. The session also encouraged participants to reflect more deeply on the evolving relationships between art and the public, as well as between art and broader social and economic contexts.