Tianyi is always in either a second-hand shop or on second-hand sale apps where she encounters found objects, images and footage (and she never feels bored). Her love for used/ collected/ found objects originates from, instead of nostalgia, a haunted feeling experienced in the contemporary days as the past has not been shed away while our world keeps moving, or in fact it can never be...
Tie-up-loose-ends_2
2023 Performance work with the collective NinnGouu (Lan Hsin Tu, Beth Wong and Tianyi Zheng)
Performed on 16th June 2023 in Worm in Rotterdam, for 20 mins. "Tie-up-loose-ends_2" is a thought-provoking and visually captivating performance by Ninngouu, a collective formed by Tianyi Zheng, Beth Wong, and Lan Hsin Tu. As an interdisciplinary practice collective, Ninngouu seeks to challenge societal norms, foster empathy, and promote understanding across borders. Their work is grounded in an Asian contextualized space that explores the complexities of queerness and geographic identity.
In this series of performances, "Tie-up-loose-ends," Ninngouu delves into the intricate relationship between the human body and various materials. Through the incorporation of cable ties, textiles, plastics, and screws, each possessing distinct qualities of softness, elasticity, and rigidity, the collective examines how these materials can impose restrictions, reshape, or transform the body. While these materials are commonly encountered in everyday life, construction sites, and exhibition spaces, they also carry symbolic weight in contexts such as protests and arrests.
By exploring the interplay between the body and materials, Ninngouu initiates essential conversations with the audience. "Tie-up-loose-ends_2" specifically aims to shed light on the unique experiences and struggles of the queer community in East Asia, while addressing broader issues of oppression and marginalization. Through their performance, the collective invites viewers to contemplate the ways in which materials and societal constructs can shape and impact individual identities.