Resistance is fultile, 2022
42 cm x 18 cm x 18 cm
Linen /dumbbell/ non-action performance
All means of control of socio-aesthetic standards are equal. These controls might come in
different shapes or forms. They are created to serve the same purpose of standardization of
beauty defined by the ruling class based on the social and political agenda.
From foot-binding to force head shaving, from botox injection to spending every day at the
gym, they are essentially the same. It is about people who surrender to these stereotypical
socially acceptable standards of beauty that permeate every sliver of our public and private
lives.
In an authoritative society, these controls are usually seen as a means of governing that is
forced upon their citizens; in a more democratic society, the mass coerced themselves into it,
in an attempt to not deviate from the norms.
In this mixed-media sculpture, the artist takes inspiration from centuries of means of control
from the East and the West, ancient and modern. The artist wraps the foot binding material
linen around a variety of bodybuilding equipment to challenge our awareness of these
socio-aesthetic means of control across different historical and cultural contexts and their
socio-political implications on us.
on view of the artwork
Exhibiting history:
2022
- The Thread Is Not Straight, Denny Demin Gallery, HK