Anaïs López - The Turtle and the Monk

This multimedia project by photographer and storyteller Anaïs López follows the true story of her search for the golden turtle Kami, the goddess of the Kamo River. A multi-layered tale of grief, the human drive to control nature and the magic of imagination.

Golden Turtle:
In October 2016, photographer Anaïs López travels to Japan. Heavily pregnant and affected by the loss of her sister, López goes in search of solace and reflection. She decides that Kyoto, the former capital with a rich past, is the best place to be at that moment. During a walk along the Kamo River, she sees a golden turtle in the middle of the river with a stick in its mouth. As soon as she hears the click of Anaïs's camera, the turtle dives into the water and disappears under a rock.

A quest:
Upon her return to the Netherlands, López continues to dream about the golden turtle, which she calls kami (the Japanese word for god). Why did Kami show itself to her? This meeting marks the beginning of a years-long quest. López travels back to Japan several times and meets special people there, each of whom shows her a different path. What began as a chance encounter grows into a layered story about grief, control, nature, greed and daring to let go.

A multimedia story:
Using photography, film, special printing techniques (gyotaku and photopolymer etching), stuffed animals, archive images and drawings by Japanese artist Niwa Yuta, López takes visitors on a unique journey. This journey is depicted in the exhibition by means of four acts (spaces): the meeting, the search, obsession and the magic of imagination. The last act consists of the 33-minute film ‘the Turtle and the Monk’, which is shown in the museum.