“After my wisdom teeth were extracted, I did not know what to do with them. They are tiny, lifeless rocks out of flesh, but then they catch the light, enameled little creatures. How strange to hold a part of me in my hand, a black hole left behind. I have chosen one to exceed me— to be the first of us to go to space.”
Living Distance (2018 - 2020)
A fantasy and a mission in which a wisdom tooth is sent to outer space and back to Earth again. Carried by a crystalline robotic sculpture called EBIFA, the tooth becomes a newborn entity in outer space. Its performance concerns death, body and homeland in a world where our science exploration and spiritual journeys diverge. Living Distance is a three-part work. It comprises the outer space performance, a 2-channel video installation, and a VR experience.
Two-channel Digital Video
10’ 49” (ENG\CHN subtitle)
In this technology-infused outer space performance, Xin weaves her tooth’s journey with her inquiry on land. The performance is represented in a two-channel video installation that mixes documentary footage of the methodical but contingent unfolding of the launch with imagery of the artist performing underwater and in the Texas desert. The installation opens up a space in between the space mission and the dreamlike ceremonies that anoint its passage.
Virtual Reality Film
8'32" ( Vive Pro or Oculus Rift, with D-box Motion chair)
In the VR experience, the audience takes on the role of the tooth and experiences the journey firsthand. A tooth emerges in darkness, destined for extraction, but its life takes an unexpected turn when it enters another darkness: the infinite of outer space. Using D-box motion chair tech, we simulate a weightless experience. The sense of weightlessness is about detachment, of leaving and being untethered.