Excerpts from the Taoist Protective Talisman is a five-screen video where the dog writes out calligraphic scriptures on vertical, yellow scrolls. The Taoist Talisman is a series of magic spells that are believed to ward off disaster and evil energy. The video’s scrolls mimic how the texts commonly appear on the walls of many Chinese homes. Some of the less popular ones directly address animal matters, often relating to dogs and cats. One, for example, reads: “Spell to prevent hearing dog barks at night.” When the dog phrases these words in licks and laps, one cannot help but detect a sly, knowing smile.