Care ( On the Other Hand.. )

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2017

Royal College of Art, MA degree show

Hand printed photographs and installation performance

The work Care (On the Other Hand..) lingers between constructions of support and restriction in terms of body, form and representation. Through the photographic frame, physical boundaries are both explored and examined as a space of both possibility and limitation. What appears to be at a standstill is in constant momentum. The word care is soft but carries weight as one depends and is depended upon. The hands of the other can heal as well as oppress. At times, the hands of the other suggest a dual association with oneself.

A performance takes the form of a wooden wall structure with massage chair components. Two performers lie within the structure for 30 minutes, often the length of a typical massage session. Their bodies are gently held in a state of stillness, allowing for an exploration of endurance and tension. The performers are observed without being able to reciprocate the gaze, making them vulnerable in this state. Power dynamics are inferred between the support structure, performers, and the audience's gaze.