Ornamentalism II
Performed at Shisanwu LLC Warehouse, July 2025
Market Warehouse, co-organized by Bungee Space, Amsterdam Warehouse, and Sheerly Touch-ya; Queens, NY
Curated by Do Tuong Linh and Serena Chang
Performed with lesser burdock
Duration: 1.5 hours
Ornamentalism II cuts into skin to make visible a history of colonial violence, using porcelain as a metaphor for Asian diasporic experiences of un-embodiment . Floral patterns from Chinese porcelain, warped into sharply bladed forms, are etched into my skin with a tattoo machine, without ink. Much like the invisibilized nature of Asian (American) strife, these marks will scab and shed. Invisible to the unknowing eye, its traces will only be visible to those who know what took place.
Performed at Shisanwu Warehouse, a pantyhose import/export warehouse in Queens, NY, I am tattooed by Korean tattooer lesser burdock, lying on top of boxes labelled “Made in China” and “Made in Korea”.
