Performance

Iodine, surgical pad, scissors, latex, organza

"Untold secrets will become soil." In the performance, I removed my clothes, wiped my body with iodine, and donned a costume made of organza and latex. I encased my body in a new body, a confluence of fabric and latex meticulously stitched with red thread. The latex, a material commonly used in condoms, signifies protection for women yet paradoxically highlights the persistent risks they face. The new body becomes my skin. This new layer becomes akin to my skin, transforming me into a vessel, oscillating between restlessness and rest, vitality and suffocation. This performance delves into the complexities of birth, where the act of bringing new life parallels a dance with death at the brink of maternal mortality. “Everything in the world is about sex — except sex. Sex is about power.” Underscoring the exploitation of female fertility and sexuality, women often become the primary targets of such exploitation. Furthermore, from my fear of hormone change and a deep-seated desire for fertility, I am aware that my hormones control me and that I am a mere projection of greater forces. This realization brings a sense of helplessness and suffocation as I grapple with circumstances beyond my control.