Ziwei Lu

Informed by my research on two collections of worker's poetry, namely "The Iron Moon" edited by Qin and "Nvgongji" written by Zheng, alongside mukbang content on various platforms, I explore the parallelism in the notion of work between factory workers and mukbangers. My focus revolves around the intimate connection between bodily labour and consumption, with a particular emphasis on carbohydrates. I contemplate how these working bodies rely on the energy derived from their own labour to perform more of it.

The notion of productive leisure in a post-Fordist society, the programmed and cultured nature of the body to be in a constant state of work become significant aspects of my inquiry. I reflect upon the accommodation of bodies in response to the demands of labour, whether it be within work, consumption, or exercise. This, in turn, leads me to examine the objects: tools and equipment we create to act and be acted upon. I find their embedded needs and desires intriguing, as they provide a gateway to contemplate the intricate relationships between labour, production, products, and consumption.