‘Objectify’ is a long-duration, endurance performance, where the artist stands straight, passive, composed. She is naked in the middle of the space with her arms stretched upwards as a caryatid, while another female is molding her body parts. All the while, the artist needs to endure the burning pain of remaining still, resisting the heavy plaster which is pulling her down. She is slowly losing a sense of her body, orientation, and responsiveness to her environment. The artist stays in her vulnerable position, exposed to an outer gaze and its surveillance.

The performance ends with the artist’s body parts exhibited as plaster objects, remaining as traces of the live act. The repetitive presence of body parts oscillates between intimacy and alienation. They are naturalistic imprints, almost aggressively precise, revealing, and at the same time inviting for comparison and judgment.

Objectify, 2018, performance, 100 minutes, ISO, Amsterdam, NL. Photography: Jessie Yingying Gong

Romy Yedidia, Objectify, 2018, performance, 100 minutes, ISO, Amsterdam, NL. Co-performer: Marie Ilse Bourlanges. Photography: Jessie Yingying Gong

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