Thesaurus
conception and performance by Mengting Zhuo
nominated for Celeste Prize 2016 (catalogue)
#1
12 Nov 2015 at Goldsmiths University
7 Oct 2016 in OXO Tower Wharf, as part of the Celeste Prize finalist exhibition
#2
24 March 2017 at By Other Means as part of Discotheque
#3
7 Oct 2017 at Arnolfini (Bristol)
6 Oct 2018 at Asia-Art-Activism@Raven Row, as part of FLOW
‘Thesaurus’ is a long-term project exploring ways of storytelling without a subject, but chance and words. In every performance, I showcased a stack of printed paper in a mixed order, which is unknown to myself. Playing with narratives and illusion, every performance of the ‘Thesaurus’ project will become another unexpected game with unexpected audience.
In Thesaurus#1, reflecting on a feminist body art exhibition, I did a quick research in my dictionary and collect about 30 different names of women's breast -- or bosom -- or boobies -- you see, why the hell does this part of body have some many names and receive so much attention (when it is bare particularly)? Among these words are British slangs, American slangs, Australian slangs, informal and inappropriate terms, etc. Along with them I also made some ambiguous instruction.
In Thesaurus#2, I played with a lexicon of scene descriptions, stage directions and other uncategorised signs.
In Thesaurus#3, I used a printer to be part of the agency game.
I seem to be the ‘subject’ of the performance; however, giving up the subjectivity in deciding the sequence of words in this presentation, the meaning/interpretation of the piece becomes generated in each spectator’s mind. What do we talk about when we talk about it? The audience was welcome to laugh, to feel struck, to make up their own narrative, as I ruffled and fumbled.
conception and performance by Mengting Zhuo
nominated for Celeste Prize 2016 (catalogue)
#1
12 Nov 2015 at Goldsmiths University
7 Oct 2016 in OXO Tower Wharf, as part of the Celeste Prize finalist exhibition
#2
24 March 2017 at By Other Means as part of Discotheque
#3
7 Oct 2017 at Arnolfini (Bristol)
6 Oct 2018 at Asia-Art-Activism@Raven Row, as part of FLOW
‘Thesaurus’ is a long-term project exploring ways of storytelling without a subject, but chance and words. In every performance, I showcased a stack of printed paper in a mixed order, which is unknown to myself. Playing with narratives and illusion, every performance of the ‘Thesaurus’ project will become another unexpected game with unexpected audience.
In Thesaurus#1, reflecting on a feminist body art exhibition, I did a quick research in my dictionary and collect about 30 different names of women's breast -- or bosom -- or boobies -- you see, why the hell does this part of body have some many names and receive so much attention (when it is bare particularly)? Among these words are British slangs, American slangs, Australian slangs, informal and inappropriate terms, etc. Along with them I also made some ambiguous instruction.
In Thesaurus#2, I played with a lexicon of scene descriptions, stage directions and other uncategorised signs.
In Thesaurus#3, I used a printer to be part of the agency game.
I seem to be the ‘subject’ of the performance; however, giving up the subjectivity in deciding the sequence of words in this presentation, the meaning/interpretation of the piece becomes generated in each spectator’s mind. What do we talk about when we talk about it? The audience was welcome to laugh, to feel struck, to make up their own narrative, as I ruffled and fumbled.
Thesaurus#3 @Raven Row from Mengting Zhuo on Vimeo.