Council of the Nine
Wild Trumpets, London – 2025
At Wild Trumpets, art is seen as a journey of both simplicity and depth, shaped by the many ways we exist in the world. In Council of the Nine, multidisciplinary artist Sihan Ling presents an exhibition that unites the playful, intuitive aesthetics of childhood with the profound framework of the Enneagram – an exploration of the self that transits between ego and essence.
Led by Sihan, Wild Trumpets is transformed into a theatrical installation featuring nine distinctive works created specifically for this project. Each embodies one of the Enneagram’s archetypes: the perfectionist Bee, the caring Dove, the ambitious Peacock, the emotional Butterfly, the thoughtful Fox, the loyal Wolf/Deer, the adventurous Monkey, the powerful Bear, and the peaceful Whale.
More than a traditional exhibition, Council of the Nine is a living process shaped by the creative exchange between the artist and his young collaborators. Over recent weeks, Sihan has led workshops with children, exploring these archetypes through imagination, play, and making. Their unfiltered creativity and intuitive problem-solving have become central to the project. While the main exhibition reflects Sihan’s own artistic language, it is deeply informed by the spirit of the workshops.
Downstairs, an archive of the children’s creations documents this process, offering insight into the collaborative journey that underpins the show. The result is a space where professional artistry and collective experimentation coexist, blurring the line between teaching, learning, and creating.
Known for blending sculpture, installation, and participatory storytelling, Sihan Ling has long explored how new forms of empirical understanding emerge through intuitive communication and cultural exchange. Council of the Nine marks a shift in his practice — from the clean, conceptual minimalism of his earlier work toward a more tactile, hand-driven, and intuitive mode of making. Here, whimsical forms and “childlike” aesthetics become vessels for deeper inquiry. The exhibition uses these playful visual languages to explore how we navigate identity and self-awareness, revealing the essence that lies behind the structures of ego. It invites us to consider how simplicity and imperfection can carry profound meaning – and how the act of making itself can be a form of being.
Ultimately, Council of the Nine encourages both children and adults to leave behind preconceived hierarchy and expectation, and to engage with art as an open, joyful, and shared experience.
Exhibition Dates: November 8-19, 2025
Private View: Friday, November 7, 6-9 PM
Venue: @wild_trumpets 26 St Lukes Mews, London W11 1DF