Wu Tsang: Of Whales

Of Whales (2022) is derived from Wu Tsang’s multidisciplinary research around Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick; or, The Whale (1851). Tracing the diving path of a sperm whale who plunges down to non-human depths for over an hour at a time only to resurface for a brief breath of air, Of Whales is a mystical adventure in place and being. Created on the Unity gaming platform, the dynamically generated real-time video and sound installation envelops visitors in an oceanscape-cosmos for respite, contemplation, and provocation. Of Whales forms part of a filmic trilogy that includes Tsang’s feature-length adaptation of Moby Dick, which reinterprets the novel through a postcolonial lens, channeling the perspectives of the whale and crew to evoke latent spiritual musings and queer intimacies. First presented at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, the work features a musical score composed by Asma Maroof and Daniel Pineda, with Tapiwa Svosve, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, and Miao Zhao.

This exhibition features flashing and moving lights that may trigger photosensitivity.

The exhibition closes 15 minutes prior to museum closing.

The volume of this work is lowered during non-peak hours. To experience it at normal volume, please visit between 1–4 p.m. Friday through Tuesday, or on Thursdays from 1–7 p.m.

Header: Wu Tsang, Of Whales, 2022 (installation view, SFMOMA); collection SFMOMA, Purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Michael D. Abrams; © Wu Tsang; photo: Katherine Du Tiel