Looking at Me: Self-Portraiture in Performance and Video Art

Selfie serves as the key concept for the “2011.4.27—Long-Term” exhibition—traces of self-portrayal can be found in works such as 30×30, （(Hygiene) Character No. 3, and even The Bruised Arm, as well as in newer works like Organs and Bones and the “Aggregate” series. For this event, TAM has invited Ge Yulu, Li Binyuan, and Zhang Liqi—artists who also focus on and engage with performance and video art—to join a tea talk discussing how to “turn the gaze inward” in both artistic creation and curatorial practice.

In video and performance art, “selfie” is a multidimensional concept. It is not merely a product of technological advancement but also the outcome of artists’ ongoing exploration of self-expression and social interaction. Both Ge Yulu and Li Binyuan utilize self-portrayal as a means to convey their reflections on contemporary social phenomena. Through this intimate approach, audiences are brought face-to-face with the artists themselves. Selfie becomes an effective means for artists to assert their identity and explore the relationship between the individual and society. Behind this creative method lies the artists’ attempt to break away from traditional narrative frameworks and seek more direct, authentic ways of reflecting personal experience and contemporary realities.