Privilege of Removal
Privilege of Removal examines how we observe, react, and respond to situations we cannot relate to, and the distance we maintain from the discomforts of others’ realities. In this performance, I threw hundreds of dead fish at a pane of hurricane-proof glass, creating an act of both violence and spectacle. The fish, with their shattered bodies, symbolized the unpleasantness we often choose to avoid or ignore.
Projected inside a dark shipping container wrapped in heavy-duty plastic, the video confronted the viewer with the intensity of the act. Removed from the immediate mess and stench, the audience retained the privilege of stepping away or closing their eyes, but the loud, visceral sound of fish striking glass could not be escaped.
Through this piece, I question the boundaries of empathy and detachment, asking how we navigate the discomforts of witnessing without direct involvement.
Stills, performance, installation 2016
Privilege of Removal
This video, part of the installation exhibited in the Wasmer Art Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University, captures the act of throwing dead fish baits at hurricane-proof glass. These fish, already killed by others, blur the boundaries of action and observation, with the artist present as both creator and witness, navigating the tension between violence, memory, and detachment.
Video, 2016