A CARNAL DISSECTION: ACT II

Act II / XIII (2020-2024)

A Carnal Dissection: Act II employs grotesque and pseudo-surgical [1] techniques to materialise human desire via the fusion of photography, video, painting, sculpture, and sound within a hybrid genre: body-gothic horror [2]. Through the disruption and fragmentation of bodily materiality, this project aims to symbolically embody and contextualise intangible phenomena—veiled facets of the human psyche. Employing a sadist approach to materials, I antagonise corporeal boundaries, seeking to express taboo elements of personal experience through anatomical dismemberments.

[1] "Pseudo-surgical" techniques refer to methods that simulate or evoke the imagery and processes of bodily surgery. These techniques involve (digitally) dissecting bodily materials, including the suturing of anatomical elements, to create an aesthetic reminiscent of body-horror films such as The Human Centipede, directed by Tom Six (2009; IFC Films).

[2] "Body-gothic horror" is a genre that merges elements of Gothic literature, fiction, art, and body horror. It explores the uncanny and grotesque aspects of the physical body and the psyche, delving into themes such as identity, desire, mortality, and the nature of reality. This fusion allows for examining existential and metaphysical questions, challenging conventional notions of the self and the body while inviting audiences to confront their deepest fears and anxieties through visceral and symbolic imagery (San Juan, 1998).