“Per/Con-ceptual Body” is composed of two sets of video images in juxtaposition. In this work, I throw and catch a small ball to and from myself. The simple actions of throwing and catching a ball actually involve a series of very complicated sensory operation - visual, touch and the motor control of the activities of the body. However, all these are personal perceptual experiences. It cannot be described objectively. To transform one’s own perceptual experience into messages that can be communicated with the other, a process of shared conceptualization is needed. With regard to the action of throwing and catching an object, it is the understanding of the actions through concepts such as speed, direction, distance and so on, all based on our own perceptual systems
The action of throwing and catching is presented as imagery through the medium of video. This involves a process of materialization. It transforms the action of throwing and catching from the perceptual experience by the self to a phenomenon that is ‘illustrated’. When this phenomenon is communicated to the perceptual system of the audience - the other, through visual imagery unaccompanied by motor actions, the circuit of Perception, Conception and Expression is activated (the interpretation of the audience is his/her expression). Thus, meaning is formed in this conceptual framework of understanding the work.
“Per/Con-ceptual Body” makes use of two sets of video images to keep repeating the action of throwing and catching by two “I”s. The two bodies move back and forth endlessly to capture the pathway of the movement of the small ball in the air. This embodies the restriction of time and space on the body. It is a kind of Sisyphusian helplessness[1]. However, whenever the small ball is thrown out of the frame, goes beyond it and falls into another frame, an unknown and unseen field between the two frames is formed. It seems that time and space cannot have any effect here because the activity of the small ball in time and space is cut off. Only imagination can perceive this as continuing. To me, the visible visual presentation of this work may be used to manifest this invisible field of the imagination.
