The work of sculptor Bekhbaatar Enkhtur delves into the mythological and cultural history of the great steppes of Mongolia. The location serves as a lens through which to understand some of the earliest instances of global politics and cultural exchange, a region that linked Europe and Asia in the twelfth and thirteenth century, sedimenting cultural and economic exchanges for centuries to come. Transcending tired cliches of the great Mongolian nation being one of murderous barbarians, Enkhtur seeks out the Mongolian love for science, art, and theatre, their deeply philosophical practices at court, and the notion of honouring hospitality above all—even for travellers from nations that had not ceded to the Mongols. Transience, so important for the nomadic empire, is also a central theme of Enkhtur’s practice of using malleable material such as clay or beeswax, which incrementally shapeshift via their exposure to the world. For Musafiri: Of Travellers and Guests, the artist has sculpted a fountain out of beeswax, reminiscent of the remarkable structure that mythology claims to have been built at the seat of Möngke Khan’s settlement. It emulated liveness through its zoomorphic appearance and an integrated automaton, which enabled it to speak to those who approached it. The communicative entity is said to have been of angelic beauty and enigmatic behaviour. From the mouths of lionlike figures, it poured different alcoholic beverages and fermented mare’s milk for those who’d travelled to meet the fourth Khagan of the Mongols. The fountain is thus a symbol of scientific and engineering expertise as well as cosmopolitan sophistication and luxurious comfort of the time.

Co-produced by Bekhbaatar Enkhtur and Haus der Kultured der Welt, 2025

Work in the exhibition: Fountain (2025), beeswax, plastic, copper, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist