“Untitled #922 (The Strange Bird),” 1997-98, is on view in “You Know Who” at the Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion in Istanbul, Turkey. Installed on the ground floor of the mansion, this sculpture is an example of the hair and taxidermy works I made in the late ‘90s. It is evocative of a dark fantasy world populated by animals, particularly birds. “Untitled #922 (The Strange Bird),” 1997-98, is composed of a taxidermy turkey and a taxidermy pheasant. Yet these familiar forms are made unrecognizable beneath a web of woven black hair that is reminiscent of black Irish lace and “dust bunnies” that crawls out toward viewers. Reimagined as a fantastic, amalgamated creature, glimpses of the birds’ feathers are still visible between gaps in the hair tapestry. Alternatively, “Untitled #922 (The Strange Bird),” 1997-98, can be considered a scene of transformation, with the animals emerging from their hair cocoon. As curator Selen Ansen writes in the exhibition catalogue, “the enigma does not reside within this shapeless mass that could serve as a nest or a trap. The enigma lies entirely in this 'strange bird' which only shows itself in order to better conceal, and which conceals in such a way as to let us guess at the presence hidden at its heart—without it being able to be named." “Untitled #922 (The Strange Bird),” 1997-98, is installed in “You Know Who,” at the Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion, in Istanbul, Turkey from September 20 – December 11, 2022. This exhibition was organized by @kocholding. The 17th Istanbul Biennial for contemporary art is concurrently running from September 17 – November 20, 2022. #petahcoyne #contemporaryart #sculpture #womenartists #youknowwho #selenansen #brigittepitarakis #koçholding #abdülmecidefendimansion #istanbulbiennial