top of page

Room (3) Observ
2022-2023
Single-channel HD video, color, sound
15 min 37 sec

A member of a contact improvisation dance group, Alain’s silhouette deviates from conventional masculine beauty standards, showcasing an alternative form of beauty in his relaxed posture. With extraordinary concentration and a mysterious aura, he directs the spectator’s gaze into the hotel room. The LCD screen in the living room reflects first the mirrored interior and then the exterior. With backlighting, Faure’s silhouette moves from the window to an interior light source, eventually positioning his head in the lampshade and holding this pose for a prolonged period.
 

«Room» series

In « Room «, Yao Qingmei collaborateswith five contemporary dancers andperformers, gathered successively in thesame standardized hotel room to explorethe space. All have different physiques,genders, ages and skin tones, andpractice different types of dance. YaoQingmei maintains the diversity of thedancers’ profiles, subtly capturing theindividuality of each and guiding theirphysical expressions, urging them toexplore the various angles of an enclosedspace. These experiences are born of the artist’spersonal observations and perceptionsof the details of the hotel room during hisisolation in 2021 in Shanghai. Yao seeksan empathetic physical experiencedrawn from the improvisations of bodiesin the «room». This place refers notonly to a confined space, but also to apsychological one. This video seriesis the most reality-related part of the«mole» exhibition, a true testament tothe physical expression of dancers inan enclosed space, where the freedom,agility and diversity of the bodiesthemselves transcend the physical limitsof space and stereotypes.

Room 5 Flesh

肉, Chair

Room 4 Rub

拭, Frotter

Room 3 Observ

观, Observer

Room 2 Walk

行, Marcher

Room 1 Wrap

裹, Draper

bottom of page