If a Turtle Could Talk October 28– November 21, 2020 Works by

Ed Pien, An’Xiong Qiu, Xiaojing Yan

Curated by Yuluo Wei

This exhibition is produced as part of the requirements for the MVS degree in Curatorial Studies at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of .

We gratefully acknowledge the continued support of the Reesa Greenberg Curatorial Studies Award and International Travel Fund.

Additional project support is provided by Penglai Guo.

2020 MVS Curatorial Studies Projects

The exhaustive thought October 28–November 21, 2020 Curated by Xenia Benivolski University of Toronto Art Centre

Overt: Militarization as Ideology October 28–November 21, 2020 Curated by Fatma Yehia University of Toronto Art Centre If a Turtle Could Talk

Cover: Ed Pien, Earthly Delights, 2001-2004. Courtesy of the artist.

Right: Xiaojing Yan, Far from when you divined, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.

Imagine you wake up in a foggy forest one encouraged in the form of pressing on semi- inspiration from traditional Chinese Encompassing works in a diversity of media night, and find a tiny creature—neither transparent walls that conjure spectres, and landscape painting while adopting materials including drawing, video, sculpture, and human nor animal—knocking at your door. faraway otherworldly beings can be glimpsed that evoke both the landscape depicted and installation, If a Turtle Could Talk produces a How would you react? down cavernous tunnels. Inside we switch its symbolic associations. Far from where spellbinding and playful environment where constantly between movement and sensation, you divined (2017) is a sculptural showcase visitors are invited to delve into the richness The German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein experiencing the depths of delight, peace, depicting a young girl, a deer, and a group of imaginary world(s) that resonate with us famously wrote: “If a lion could talk, we would sorrow, anxiety, and rage. of moon rabbits. Fashioned from lingzhi on a visceral, emotional, and evocative level, not understand him.”1 In an age where the mushrooms rooted in woodchip forms, the regardless of audience worldview. human world is well analyzed and excessively Emerging from the tunnels, we come upon sculptures represent symbols of longevity, explained, we continue to (re)imagine. From -based artist An’Xiong Qiu’s projected echoing themes in traditional Chinese myth —Yuluo Wei clan ancestors to messengers of God, and series of animations New Book of Mountains where deer are believed to be holy keepers or from legendary heroes to hunted demon and Seas III (2017). Originally painted in skilled hunters of sacred mushrooms deep 1  Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, trans. beings, narratives of mythical creatures are acrylic, the artist has taken inspiration for in the mountains, and moon rabbits can G. E. M. Anscombe (Oxford: Blackwell, 2003), 223. constantly reinterpreted and re-appear in the his animations from the ancient classic create mysterious elixirs of immortality using 2 Contemporary scholars generally believe that this book is contemporary context. If we could understand 山海经 (Shan Hai Jing; Guideways of mortar and pestle. This installation brings an the result of a collective effort, with major stories based on these creatures' languages, what would they Mountains and Seas), a famous compilation imaginary world into existence, alluding to an oral legends accumulated by different authors over time. Shan Hai Jing, ed. Zongyi Rao, trans. Zhengqian Huang say? With this question as a departure point, of mythical texts dating back to the second unspeakable relationship between human and (Beijing: CITIC Press, 2015). If a Turtle Could Talk features large-scale century BCE.2 Featuring eighteen volumes nature and to the circle of life and death. works by three artists who share an interest in of fantastical creatures, plants, medicines, mythical creatures as a way of understanding and geography, the ancient stories serve as The exhibition is accompanied by the ourselves and the world we live in today, the basis of Chinese mythology. Depicting story of Papa Turtle, a Star Postman who differently. modern civilization from an ancient inadvertently travels from his mossy forest perspective, the artist’s dystopian world is home to the human world, and sends letters Entering the exhibition, we step into overrun by strange creatures that assume back to Little Turtle, questioning their Ed Pien’s garden. The artist immigrated the shapes of modern technologies and connection to nature, their understanding of to at age eleven, and his works are manipulated to appear mythical. By time, history, knowledge, assimilation, and embrace the hybridity of his geographic incorporating the expressiveness of an acrylic even their own existence. and ethnic self. Encircling the viewer with a language that imitates ink into hand-drawn series of ink drawings on suspended paper animation, Qiu’s work expresses critical Art is a way to make us think. An exhibition, walls, Earthly Delights (2001-2004) evokes attitudes towards our current living situation. as expansive and pliable as art itself, Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych panel The encourages viewers to think in ways that are Garden of Earthly Delights. While Bosch’s Xiaojing Yan, Canada-based for more than wilder and more undomesticated. Adapting work implicates visitors in its mise-en-scène a decade, has been planting seeds of art in figures and images from ancient Asian history with manifold creatures flowing left-to-right different media and plays with strong physical and contemporary Western culture, both as representatives of Eden, the garden of forms and materials that emanate religious, the exhibition and story create a confluence earthly delights, and hell, Pien makes use of mythological, and cultural connotations. of intuitive, poetic, and visual narratives a 360-degree panorama to envelop visitors in Skyline (2019) envelops visitors with a bio- that blur the distinctions between reality three floating, circular rooms that flutter in electrical audio recording documenting and fiction, exploring absence and presence response to movement. In this playground, the growth of lingzhi mushrooms, while through a fascination with strangeness and a lying down or stooping low, interactivity is Mountains of Pines (2017–2018) takes sense of displacement. Public Programs Staff Visiting the Art Museum

Artist Talk: Ed Pien, An'xiong Qiu, Barbara Fischer, Executive Director/ Justina M. Barnicke Gallery Please note that our hours have changed: and Xiaojing Yan Chief Curator 7 Hart House Circle Tuesday Noon–5pm Tuesday, November 10, 7:30-8:30pm Sarah Robayo Sheridan, Curator Toronto, M5S 3H3 Wednesday Noon–7pm Online on artmuseum.utoronto.ca Mikinaak Migwans, Curator, Indigenous 416.978.8398 Thursday Noon–5pm Contemporary Art Friday Noon–5pm One Story at Twilight Time: John G. Hampton, Adjunct Curator University of Toronto Art Centre Saturday Noon–5pm If a Turtle Could Talk Seika Boye, Adjunct Curator 15 King’s College Circle Sunday Closed Saturday, November 21, 5:15-5:30pm Rebecca Gimmi, Program Coordinator Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7 Monday Closed Online on artmuseum.utoronto.ca Maureen Smith, Business Coordinator 416.978.1838 Heather Darling Pigat, Collections Manager Closed on statutory holidays. Esther Simmonds-MacAdam, Exhibition [email protected] Admission is FREE. Curator’s Acknowledgments Coordinator artmuseum.utoronto.ca Marianne Rellin, Communications Assistant @artmuseumuoft I would first like to thank the MVS Curtis Amisich, Samuel De Lange, Alex Durlak, recruitment committee for putting their faith Nadia Kuzmicz, Carmen Schroeder, in me and setting me on a wondrous journey. Exhibition Technicians I owe a great debt of gratitude to Barbara Fischer, who has mentored me and broadened Brand Design: Underline Studio Yonge St my worldview from day one. I am beholden Printing: Flash Reproductions to Charles Stankievech for his consistent, Copy Editor: Ruth Jones Bloor St W invaluable advice and support. Special thanks to my advisor Wen-chien Cheng. I also want to Charles St W thank Fatma Yehia, Xenia Benivolski, and my Museum Subway Studio Practice colleagues, with whom I have Station St George shared countless thoughtful exchanges and Subway Station memorable moments. Bay St St Joseph St Queen’s Park Cres W To the artists and the Art Museum team: Hoskin Ave thank you all for making this exhibition Tower Rd Justina M. Barnicke Gallery Wellesley St W possible amidst unpredictable times. St George St Additionally, I would like to express my very great appreciation to Penglai Guo for his Huron St Hart University House generous gift that enabled me to turn my of Toronto Circle Art Centre full vision into reality. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Kennan. His voice was the Grosvenor St King’s inspiration for this turtle story. Spadina Ave College Circle

College St Galbraith Rd Queen’s Park Subway Station Russell St

Spadina Crescent

an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario Art Museum University of Toronto — Justina M. Barnicke Gallery University of Toronto Art Centre

7 Hart House Circle Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H3 artmuseum.utoronto.ca