The body is a document of one’s life, the politics of its own being, its desires, conflicts and ideals. As Singaporean where economic performance forms the national identity, the body becomes a form of human capital to be disciplined for constant growth. One’s physical endurance and prowess parallels the capitalistic society that demands faster, longer, stronger performance from its subjects; the measure of neoliberal resilience.
This work was first commissioned by Asian Film Archive and presented as a live act in State of Motion: Rushes of Time as part of Singapore Art Week 2020. In collaboration with ARTFACTORY and presented by OH! Open House, this iteration considers the struggles during a pandemic, as Toh examines the lived experience of being productive at such a time, the audience experience up close the sweat and tension reverberating through Toh’s body as she pushes herself through extreme states of breathlessness.
PAT TOH 