The WEIGHT OF
The WEIGHT OF comprises of 20 individually designed sand bags, all based on Hocking’s body outline. Each bag contains a mass of sand equal to the mass of her body (excluding water/blood), physically tying her to the work. The sand bags are positioned as a wall, dividing the ocean and the land.
The placement is a zone of convergence which could trigger associations of entry points and borders.
The destabilising performative action of nature’s forces (tidal surges/waves) enacting on the artwork generated an embodied experience in bearing witness to matter in flux, sound, and the transforming environment.
A vulnerability and tension are present as the tide approaches. A futile gesture against the rising tide but the human/nonhuman cost is a reality for those living on the South Pacific low-lying Islands (Kiribati). The loss of country, place, home and culture is a reality.
