Step into a world where animals test our wits, slip between worlds, and hold up a mirror to human desire.

Presented in collaboration with the Whitworth Art Gallery, this evening of collective reading invites you on a journey across continents and centuries, weaving together voices and texts in dialogue with 'Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits', on view at esea contemporary from 14 June until 14 September 2025.

Together, we will read 'The Conference of the Birds', a Persian classic by Attar of Nishapur, which is closely tied to Slavs and Tatars’s exhibition. In the poem, a council of birds embark on a journey through the seven valleys to find the legendary Simurgh. Along the way, they are blighted by forces of nature and their own shortcomings.

Our path will then lead us to Southeast Asia to encounter Sang Kancil, the cunning mousedeer of Malay folklore. We begin with a screening of 'Hikayat Sang Kancil' (Tale of the Mousedeer), a classic Malaysian animation from the 1980s that delighted generations with its mischievous animal tales. This familiar childhood story sets the stage for Hazri Haili’s sharp and provocative re-examination of Sang Kancil, questioning how the mousedeer’s trickster values—once a source of gleeful resistance—become normalised in adulthood and ultimately weaponised by the powerful.

A few animal and bird masks will be provided. The participants are encouraged to bring their own.

This session will be led by Valentin Diaconov, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Whitworth, and Jo-Lene Ong, Curator of esea contemporary.

Venue: The Living Room, Ground Floor, Whitworth Art Gallery

Booking is essential, as spaces are limited.