Bekhbaatar Enkhtur
Bekhbaatar Enkhtur’s artistic practice explores the migration of objects, rituals, and visual culture, focusing on how their meanings evolve, particularly in relation to his native Mongolia and the broader regions of Central and East Asia. His sculptures often take the form of animals, examining the complex relationships between humans and non-humans.
In this new body of work, Enkhtur draws inspiration from the dervishes — Sufi Muslim mystics from Central Asia, renowned for their rituals and captivating storytelling. These dervishes did not just recount stories; they lived them, with each narrative constantly evolving. Their oral traditions were fluid, always open to new meanings and interpretations.
Inspired by the concept of “stories in motion,” Enkhtur has created copper sculptures arranged dynamically on the wall, each symbolizing both a connection to and divergence from myths and folklore of the nomadic tradition. In his objects, we find interpretations of such symbols as a magpie, tales about vultures and snakes, a wolf and a hare or Fifteen Faced Mahakala, as well as such stories as the Horse with the Sun on Its Back, or a Woman with Deer, Copper holds a twofold significance in this work. In Buddhist tradition, it is often used for statues and small idols in sacred family spaces, symbolizing the thin yet profound boundary between the physical and spiritual realms. It also represents the fragility and resilience of belief systems, bridging the material and the transcendent.
Enkhtur weaves together diverse, sometimes contradictory stories to create a visual mosaic of myths, legends, and spiritual teachings, often reflecting the search for balance between good and bad. This fusion of traditions symbolizes a world he envisions — guided by parallels rather than divisions — where absolutes do not exist.
Bekhbaatar Enkhtur’s artistic practice explores the migration of objects, rituals, and visual culture, focusing on how their meanings evolve, particularly in relation to his native Mongolia and the broader regions of Central and East Asia. His sculptures often take the form of animals, examining the complex relationships between humans and non-humans.
In this new body of work, Enkhtur draws inspiration from the dervishes — Sufi Muslim mystics from Central Asia, renowned for their rituals and captivating storytelling. These dervishes did not just recount stories; they lived them, with each narrative constantly evolving. Their oral traditions were fluid, always open to new meanings and interpretations.
Inspired by the concept of “stories in motion,” Enkhtur has created copper sculptures arranged dynamically on the wall, each symbolizing both a connection to and divergence from myths and folklore of the nomadic tradition. In his objects, we find interpretations of such symbols as a magpie, tales about vultures and snakes, a wolf and a hare or Fifteen Faced Mahakala, as well as such stories as the Horse with the Sun on Its Back, or a Woman with Deer, Copper holds a twofold significance in this work. In Buddhist tradition, it is often used for statues and small idols in sacred family spaces, symbolizing the thin yet profound boundary between the physical and spiritual realms. It also represents the fragility and resilience of belief systems, bridging the material and the transcendent.
Enkhtur weaves together diverse, sometimes contradictory stories to create a visual mosaic of myths, legends, and spiritual teachings, often reflecting the search for balance between good and bad. This fusion of traditions symbolizes a world he envisions — guided by parallels rather than divisions — where absolutes do not exist.
Special prize
Commenting on Bekhbaatar Enkhtur as the winner of the special prize, the Jury said:
“Bekhbaatar Enkhtur imagines a fantastic world through copper and beeswax sculptures, creating an immersive installation that conveys a new mythology based on Mongolian oral histories. His surprising installation invites us to a futuristic walkthrough using at hand materials to disrupt the established aesthetic hierarchies. The past, present and future merge ironically together to form a new poetic landscape.”
