judith tong

A performance for an audience of one installed within the basement of my home, spanning four minutes long. The single audience member pushes through three layers of cloth dividing their descent into the basement, each cloth attached with small mirrors and a note that reads "LOOK DOWN" on the first two cloths, and "REMEMBER YOUR BODY" on the final division. As they first enter the basement alone and inspect their surroundings, they find every movement they make is being recorded and live streamed through a projector, The projection is directed onto three full body mirrors with smaller mirrors layered on top. The image will project back on to the stone wall behind the projector, where the image of the viewer is layered and fragmented. I make my appearance out from behind the cloth and make a line drawing of the viewer on to a mirror, layered on top of their own reflection. I then produce a concoction of dirt and hot water, given to the viewer to smell, and then poured on top of the mirror where the viewer watches the image of themselves disintegrate under the dirt. The viewer is gifted a handful of warm dirt, scraped off of the mirror, along with a small note that reads "CAN YOU REMEMBER YOU." As the viewer ascends out of the basement, each cloth division now reads "CAN YOU REMEMBER YOU."

2018
Film shot by Helena Gruensteidl and Judith Tong, edited on Adobe Premiere.