Wei Zhou: The Unspeakable In Pursuit Of The Uneatable

8 Sep-30 Sep 2023

Overview

The Unspeakable In Pursuit Of The Uneatable is an immersive, visceral exhibition that intertwines Chinese Zhiguai tales ("tales of the strange") and science fiction/speculative fiction. It features a 3-channel video installation accompanied by furry textiles and a scent that blends organic and non-organic elements. This exhibition seeks to address the structural oppression and systematic discrimination faced by monsterised and pathologised sexual minority bodies, specifically East Asian women. Instead of passive control and governance, the artist seeks alternative ways of self-alienation and bodily metamorphosis/modification to embody desires, thereby helping viewers process and relate to their personal and collective trauma of feeling uncategorized and being in-between.

This body of work uses frameworks of different versions of Huli jing stories, incorporating narratives around "hunting" and the history of fox hunting in the UK, bringing together the past, present, and future. Huli jing (Chinese: 狐狸精; 'fox spirit') is a Chinese mythological creature that is capable of shapeshifting, and may either be a benevolent or malevolent spirit, the nine-tailed fox, jiuweihu (Chinese: 九尾狐; 'nine-tailed fox'), being the most well-known. This rewrite of Huli jing’s story emphasises their interspecies transformation ability and control over their own sexuality, which is subversive and queered.

The various versions of Huli jing's story have different connotations based on social backgrounds and women's status at the time. From the Han Dynasty, Huli jing are often portrayed as beautiful women who seduce young men or women to gain power and eventually achieve immortality by transforming into human form. The story follows her perspective as she explores the world and embarks on a journey of self-discovery through exchanges of kisses, fluids, electric currents, and intimate connections.

This rewritten version of Huli jing's story will be presented in a soft sci-fi visual style, featuring visually stimulating lighting and futuristic settings. The story aims to explore the meaning of ancient mythological narratives in modern times, human and non-human relationships, and our understanding of femininity, sexualities, and desires in a non-male-centric and non-human-centric gaze.
 

Artists