Manggus

The title “Manggus” comes from Mongolian and translates as “Monster.” This mysterious figure appears in myths and fairy tales worldwide, often embodying the inner darkness of humans. As a child, I was captivated by stories of Manggus, passed down by my parents and grandparents. This exhibition draws on the Mongolian myth “The Story of Galav”, orally transmitted for centuries and first recorded in 1977 by Prof. Dr. S. Dulam, based on the narration of Chunraa, one of the last great storytellers of her time. In earlier eras, storytellers wandered the vast Mongolian steppe, sharing myths accompanied by a single instrument — often the horsehead fiddle — at festivals, weddings, and the birth of children. Some stories were so long they could take up to two weeks or more to tell, evolving with each retelling. Today, only fragments or a few very long stories remain. As a visual artist, I asked myself how these stories could continue in a world where such storytellers no longer exist. This exhibition is my attempt to reimagine the myth visually, creating a dialogue with a tradition that has largely disappeared. The myth unfolds across three worlds: the divine upper world, the middle world of humans and animals, and the spirit underworld. All three interact simultaneously, forming a non-linear, continuous narrative where time and space overlap. In my murals and oil paintings, inspired by 18th–19th century Mongolian painting, I translate this story into a visual realm. Creation, life, and fear coexist: from the placenta of a newborn grows a fruit tree, while elsewhere someone flees a Manggus. The Blood Sea, Möleden, encircles the monsters’ land, crossable only by one who consumes human flesh.