Ziyi Zhai

The project explores the notion of bodily alienation, when human identity is reduced to that of a captive animal in a zoo and the body is left like a wasteland at the mercy of power and technology, where all bodily sensations and experiences are losing their meaning.

The silent horse outside the window in video, the thin chest, the dying man all suggest whether our bodies have long since melted away from within.Where does our heavy flesh go in these circumstances？

Informational developments are weakening, alienating and even completely dissolving the corporeality of life. Sensory experiences are diminishing as people become increasingly immersed in the alluring realm of virtual reality. This quest for 'immortality' in an unreal world prompts us to face the crucial question of whether we will choose to remain rooted in our corporeal bodies.

Dance in video is transformed into a medium for reshaping bodily perception, reactivating the body's organs, reclaiming the body's senses and awakening us from the sensory intoxication of the virtual world. Through dance, we embark on a journey that not only saves but defends our physical existence.

Thanks to the collaborative dancer: Jiayi Fan

Text from the science fiction novel 'stay behind'