Interactive performance
2.6.2025
Blue Studio, RISD
duration 23 min
My initial goal is to transfer 91 sheets of paper
from the vertex of a triangle space to its endpoints.
People stay inside.
I move outside.
They may help me.
They may disrupt me.
multiple bodies
print paper
wood panel
speaker
masking tape
mark pen
Dear People:
It is called “Anger: 91”
The number refers to how many sheets I used for carving on a ream of paper in one cut. The harder I carve, the deeper the pile of paper is engraved.
It is called “Anger: 91”
The number refers to how many sheets I used for carving on a ream of paper in one cut. The harder I carve, the deeper the pile of paper is engraved.
On January 9th, I carved through 91 sheets with one cut, which is the maximum volume so far. I found my anger. Today, I am trying/going to dissolve it.
I will transfer these 91 sheets to both ends, sheet by sheet, from top to bottom. As you can see in my hand, the top sheet is the most carved one, the bottom sheet has almost no carving trace.
If you flip through it, you will see the depth of carving marks become shallower and shallower, and shallower, and shallower…
In this case, when I finish the transfer, the bottom will become the top, only the least carved sheet remains.
You should not exceed this area during the performance. But there is an EXIT on the line. You are not recommended to exit, only if you do want to.
Before I start, I want this question to keep in your mind - Do you remember the last time you were angry but you could prove nothing?
Thank you.
When I start to move and transfer, outside the restricted area, outside the people. I suppose I am free as a strong conductor.
When I start to move and transfer, no matter walking/running backward or forward just, keeping my eyes directly to the scratch on each paper, there comes the momentum that is generated within the switch of direction and natural body motion. I might fall due to the momentum, but I would stand up and keep going after that. The momentum exists in my body, in the nature of Pendulum Mechanism, in the desire to finish transferring, in every resistance and acceptance between me and the people. Movement, body, people, site, form countless transitions spontaneously. I regard the transition as the breeding ground of the momentum. Every decision I make during the performance is made in these transitions, subjected to the natural momentum, rooted in the body itself. It all happens in a few seconds, to move or not, to do it myself or not, to touch other limbs or not, to move together or not, to react as angry or not. Let the body go first, before my mindset starts to talk to me again in a common rational way.
When I start to move and transfer, outside the restricted area, outside the people. I suppose I am free as a strong conductor. The truth is, when I start to move and transfer, people are also beginning to do so. Helping me, disrupting me, observing me, doubting me. What I did not realize before is, people are not recommended to use the exit to leave the triangle area on the surface, but the area starts to expand once they delve into it in a vertical way. Just like, while I am moving and doing my transferring task outside, people start to build an obstacle for me inside. The improvised interaction between me and the people, the movement and formation made by people that not including me, are the evidence of this vertical exploration.
click the sketch to see more