The astonishing proliferation of forms and modes of being in nature excite the human imagination. Bizarre creations also come into existence from translation and transcription errors of naturalists that are repeated and embellished from one generation to the next. In the bestiaries of old and new, fantastical creatures such as dragon, unicorn and griffin thrive side by side with the real animals we encounter. These creatures are further empowered by a belief in moral or pharmacological properties, like the Chinese unicorn Qilin that can supposedly ward off evil. But most of all, the animal world offers a treasury of compelling narrative protagonists that we adopt and then adapt into literary sagas such as The The Journey to the West, into the fairy tales of the Tiger Aunt and the Tortoise and the Hare, and into the modern adaptations of Chinese dramas such as the Legend of the White Snake. This brings us to the threshold of future emerging worlds with fantastic and wonderful robotic creatures, the perplexing prospect of genetically manipulated animals, and the wealth of art’s unfettered digital imaginings.

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  Tsou-Yü

  • Anonymous, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
  • Hand scroll, ink and colors on silk
  • 51.8cm (H) x 124.8cm (W)

       In the autumn of 1404, the second year of the Yongle reign, it was reported that a mythical animal known as a "zouyu" was spotted in the Shenhou Mountains in the realm of Zhu Su, Prince Ding of Zhou. Zhu Su thereupon led a squad to capture the beast. After catching the rare animal, it was presented as tribute to Chengzu, the Yongle emperor. This is a painting of the "zouyu" captured in the Shenhou Mountains. As it shows, the "zouyu" is actually a rare white tiger said to be able to predict good or bad luck. For this reason, the appearance of a "zouyu" was considered an auspicious omen indicating the presence of a ruler possessing the virtues of benevolence and faith.

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  Vampyroteuthis infernalis

  • Louis Bec
  • 1987

       Louis Bec (1936-2018) was both artist and scientist in the field of artificial life and 3D technologies. Describing himself as a zoosystematician, he partnered with the philosopher Vilém Flusser to develop a series of potential marine creatures that he endowed with chimerical and fictional characteristics. This extension of biological evolution and simulation of new life forms, focused on how evolution emerged from a unique search for new zoomorphic types and forms of communication between artificial and natural species. Bec’s computer graphic models and videos are accompanied by his online publication Zoosystémie.

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  The Journey to the West

  • Written by Wu Chengen, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
  • Imprint by the Shidetang Hall of Jinling, Wanli reign (1573-1620)
  • 21cm (H) x 13.4cm (W)

       The book was printed by the Shidetang Hall of Jinling in 1592, and is considered the earliest version of the 100-chapter The Journey to the West. Only four copies are in existence today, including three in Japan and one in the National Palace Museum. The work features cross-page illustrations, with descriptive captions on top. The bold carvings and rugged lines are stylistic of the Jinling style of prints.