Orientation

2021

Various Dimensions

felt, thread, textile samples, wood, copper leaf

in collaboration with: Charlie Thornton Chang-Ching Su Aazeen Haqui
filed in: 2021 Fiber Time Object Performance

Sara Ahmed writes in Queer Phenomenology about the act of being (dis)oriented towards other objects and people. Two bodies grapple with the act of orienting themselves in space by aligning their bodies in accordance to a series of spoken commands (e.g. “Left hand, south. Right foot, northeast”) One participant reacts only to commands spoken in mandarin, the other only to english.

Informed by the wuxing of feng shui, the practice mat points in eight cardinal directions using colors associated with the directional energies that flows through that direction. Viewers and members of the public are invited to attempt their own orientation.

Two people wearing all black with all of their hands and feet touching the ground. Their legs are pointing in parallel directions.
Two people dressed entirely in black entangled with each other. One of them reaches an arm between their legs, the other has all limbs touching the floor.
Two bodies appear to be playing the game of twister with their hands and feet on top of a game mat. The mat is designed such that the circles are instead aligned to the 8 cardinal directions rather than a simple array
a large mat made of a felt moving blanket. Circles in various colors radiate out evenly spaced from the center.
A copper leafed board that simultaneously resembles an early Chinese ladle compass and the spinner from the game of Twister.
Two people wearing all black with all of their hands and feet touching the ground as if playing the game of twister. The mat they are playing on has colorful circles arranged to align in the 8 cardinal directions.
A close-up image of two people wearing all black with all of their hands and feet touching the ground as if playing the game of twister. The mat they are playing on has colorful circles arranged to align in the 8 cardinal directions.
Two people wearing all black with all of their hands and feet touching the ground as if playing the game of twister. The mat they are playing on has colorful circles arranged to align in the 8 cardinal directions.