would you help me?

(performance, 2020)

This performance is a commentary on the attention economy/history of the female nude in museums/social media culture pushing women to strip in order to be acknowledged.

While standing in a space I encourage people to remove clothes from my body. Two cameras attached to my feet (symbolizing imprisonment by media) are available to the audience to use to capture me at any moment. A screen projecting a variety of messages in a glitchy/strobe-like way with dramatic music and me repeating the messages on the projection are nudging the audience to take action:

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I AM A WOMAN
STRIP ME
TAKE A PHOTO OF ME
HELP ME!!!
WHAT’S MY STATUS?
GET ME INTO A MUSEUM

LIKE ME

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The irony here is that the more I strip, the more attention I would receive, which is a way to gain instant gratification and short-term happiness. However, in the longer term, this harms one’s mental health and self-perception (moves towards objectivization).

This performance is designed to divide people, into the ones who would strip me down, and the ones who are against this and decide not to participate. The: "HELP ME!!!" on the screen underlies the whole situation. But - what is the right way to help?

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The performance has three possible endings:

a) The participants strip me fully naked
b) I am freed off of the chains with cameras

c) Nobody participates, I have to remain in my "crying for help"

state forever