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In her films and performances, Tianyi Zheng (1995) conducts research into what shapes identity. Her project Where Comes Mulan (2024-ongoing) revolves around the Chinese legend of Mulan, an ancient story about a woman who disguises herself as a man to become a warrior – in the West mainly familiar from the eponymous Disney film. Zheng’s inspiration came from her father’s place of birth, Ta’er Gang in Huangpi disctrict, which in 2001 was renamed to Mulan Town. Since then, the area evolved into a tourist attraction, complete with statues and temples. While the official, polished version of the story glorifies Mulan as a heroic warrior and obedient daughter, alternative, local narratives paint a more complex picture of a woman who stood up to patriarchal structures and came to a tragic end.
Zheng’s video triptych reclaims a more multifaceted identity for Mulan. The first scene features Mulan Mountain, where the warrior not only shows her strength, but also wounds herself. In the second scene Mulan finds herself confined in a domestic, feminine role. Recorded at an abandoned hotel that is slowly sinking into Mulan Lake, the third scene shows Mulan symbolically washing her heart. This ties into a version of the story where Mulan commits suicide, after which her heart is removed to demonstrate her purity.
Zheng examines how commerce, ideology, and mythology have become intertwined. She collaborated with queer performer Qiaochu Guo, who is from the region, to highlight Mulan’s subversive power. Can a queer perspective lead to a revaluation of Mulan’s identity? And can Mulan become a symbol of empowerment and resistance?
Text: Esmee Postma
Translated from Dutch by Marie Louise Schoondergang (The Art of Translation)