Bekhbaatar Enkhtur's Site-Specific Exhibition at Matèria, Rome

Curated by Enrico Camprini, Bekhbaatar Enkhtur's exhibition 'Imagining for Real' at Matèria gallery in Rome presents an alternative perspective on Mongolian history. The artist, born in Ulaanbaatar in 1994, uses sculpture and spatial manipulation to create impermanent works from organic materials like clay, wax, and straw, which naturally deteriorate over time. Central to the show is a long sculpture of straw and wax resting on a cushion, referencing the iconoclastic destruction of the Migjid Janraisig statue in Ulaanbaatar—a 26-meter-tall bodhisattva erected in 1913, demolished by Soviet troops during WWII, and rebuilt in 1996. Along the walls, nine drawings titled 'Sisma #1–9' (2023) made from leftover materials evoke the artist's childhood game. The exhibition transforms the space into a metaphorical narrative intertwining personal memories and collective Mongolian history, exploring temporality and transformation.