Archie Hayes 
Gentle Monster stays true to its innovative spirit with the opening of its store in Shenzhen, China, featuring towering sculptures of a sleeping human, bison, and faces (or busts). Located at Water Plaza, Shenzhen Mixc World, this is the third installment of the Korean eyewear brand’s HAUS NOWHERE series, each of which defies conventional retail design. Opened on September 5th, 2024, the store invites visitors to explore a unique retail environment while experiencing the brand’s FUTURE RETAIL concept, with massive, stationary figures adding an ever-present sense of grandeur.
Giant Sculptures of Sleeping Human, Bison, and Faces in Store
The sculptures at Gentle Monster’s Shenzhen store are tied together by a common narrative: INSECT KINGDOM. Rather than simply creating oversized statues for visual impact, the Korean eyewear brand has crafted a physical representation of a fictional story about the 10,000-year relationship between giants, insects, and animals. The concept envisions a space where all beings coexist peacefully, free from fear, symbolizing a collective existence. The experience at HAUS NOWHERE SHENZHEN unfolds in a structured sequence.
It begins with the creation of three beings by the Monad, the first entity: Insectoids resembling mantises, Beasts akin to bison, and the colossal First Human. However, the Monad is not a hero; it, along with the Insects, succumbed to greed and intelligence, eventually imprisoning the First Human. The Insects thrived for centuries, ruling the kingdom and earning it the name INSECT KINGDOM.
Retail Store That Doubles as an Exhibition Space
As visitors reach the final section of Gentle Monster’s Shenzhen store, the reign of the Insects seems to be coming to an end. Three faces of women with closed eyes—The Three Oracles—appear, warning the Insect Kingdom of the impending rise of the Colossal First Human, who will soon awaken from its slumber. “The rest of the story will follow,” hints the brand’s team. Beyond the narrative, the sculptures are crafted with meticulous detail, giving them a lifelike quality.
The veins on the hands of the sleeping giant bulge, the women’s faces glisten and are sculpted to resemble living people, the bison appear frozen in motion, and the dormant insects seem poised to spring to life at any moment. These immersive installations, the result of hours of painstaking work, transform the store into a gallery-like space, where art takes precedence over commerce.
