Instrument
2021
Performance
Instrument is a performance piece that examines the tension between intimacy and detachment in both artistic practice and the perception of the human body. I reproduced the image of a fetal ultrasound with my naked body covered with charcoal. This performance interrogated technology, objectification, and reproduction, questioning how life and material substance are perceived and represented in a world shaped by medical and philosophical frameworks.
Reflecting on my fascination with the corporeal human form and its relationship to the immaterial, I was inspired by Descartes’ dualist philosophy, particularly the separation of the body and soul. This led me to consider contemporary materialist ideas about the origins of life, symbolized by the image of a fetal ultrasound. Ultrasound technology, which has only existed since the mid-20th century, embodies both intimacy and detachment. While it serves as a cherished icon for many families, symbolizing hope and new life, it primarily functions as a medical tool, viewed through what Michel Foucault calls the "medical gaze." This gaze objectifies the body, detaching it from personal identity and reducing it to pure materiality for clinical assessment.
Three paintings are made from the photos taken during the performance, to further examines the distortion of the body and image.
Untitled (Instrument #1)
2022
Oil on canvas
30” x 24”
Untitled (Instrument #2)
2022
Oil on canvas
30” x 24”
Untitled (Instrument #3)
2022
Oil on canvas
30” x 24”