Artist Qianlin Wang and noks collective have started this proces in 2022. The initial idea was simple and practical, like all revolutionary ideas should be: to reimagine the mythological narrations, to gather stories that respond to our current needs and to eat together, in order to regain the balance.

The project is based on constant conversation and research led by Qianlin Wand and Wera Morawiec. So far, we built it on three stages: open call for stories, artist talk and ritual performance.

To read more about an ongoing open call – scroll down.

First meeting in physical space around Mythopoeia project was a short lecture/artist talk on what inspired Qianlin Wang and Wera Morawiec for their collaboration. We met around the table to talk about intuitions and recipes that are running in our veins, about the care manifested as food and the cultural balance inside and outside the kitchen. Qianlin Wang did also present her artistic research and practice as a fresh MA graduate of Chelsea College of Arts, London, UK.
This meeting was made possible thanks to invitation from Multimedia Space Creation studio at the Media Art Department of Academy Of Arts And Design in Wroclaw, Poland.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

As a third stage, we invited all to the performance/ common ritual at the garden of Nicponiej Gallery. Together with the artist, we have learned the story of the Taohuayan deity chosen for this day according to the lunar calendar and we had eaten a meal consisting of appropriate ingredients: clay, earth, root vegetables and wormwood.

To read our curatorial text in Polish click here.

Photo documentation: Katarzyna Kornek, Wiktoria Łebek.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We hope to continue the project next year, with issuing a zin with our stories and creation of new rituals for deities.

OPEN CALL

Our project was based upon an open call – if you feel like contributing a story to our new deities panteon please DM us.
“Everyone is welcome to submit! Format of submission: text or audio file. There is no fee to take part / no fee for chosen applications. Summon your future god_dess and send a description to noks.collective@gmail.com”

In this open call, we would like to invite you to submit a story of the deity you created. It is important for us to reimagine new mythology that responds to the modern time and our psychological needs: we invite especially womxn and non-
binary persons to take part, as we are aware that there are few to no mythological models they can relate to during their journeys on Earth.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE OPEN CALL IDEA:

Inspired by the novel The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, I wish to create a different mythological system, in which all the deities are androgynous, like people in Gethan, which is the planet where the novel took place. During such fast-changing time, females and non-binaries find it difficult to follow any models in the mythologies to guide their individual journeys. It is important for us to reimagine a new mythology that responds to the modern time and our psychological needs. 
For some background information, it’s worth mentioning the sexual psychology of Gethenians. Unlike humans, Gethenians undergo sexual cycles every 26 to 28 days. Near the end of the cycle, the individual enters the phase of kemmer, the two of them will turn into either female or male depending on their partner’s hormones. Due to this nature, everyone shares the same risks and responsibilities of child bearing. There is no rape; no division of humanity into any sort of duality such as active/passive, strong/weak. 
This constant shift in duality is also present in Chinese cuisine, people always try to balance the yin and yang aspects in the food. All the food has both parts, but some food is primarily yang, such as potatoes, chili, and lamb. Yin food generally has more moisturising contents, such as cucumber, winter melon, and lotus. Even cooking methods can change the yin/yang balance of the dish. Frying and roasting are yang, while steaming and boiling is yin. There are certain food called medical food in China, following the principle of balancing the aspects within one’s body, eating yin/yang food when your body has excessive yang/yin.

Call participants are encouraged to share their perspectives on the yin/yang energy of the food, and their personal struggles to achieve the balance.