“This body is a shelter, / of networking, of systems, / which give a complete life / and responsibilities / beyond culture, classes, and language.” Punctuated by gasps, inhalations, whispers, and nonverbal vocalizations, performance artist Melati Suryodarmo bridges the connections between her own body and the social bodies that sustain us. In a poem that probes the boundaries of oration and performance, Suryodarmo shows how we might find empowerment within our own bodies as the basis for collective transformation. “Artists-in-Presidents” is initiated by Constance Hockaday, curated by Christine Shaw, and commissioned by The Blackwood (University of Toronto Mississauga). Podcast production by Vocal Fry. Transmissions are released every Friday from August 6–December 17, 2021. To view the portrait gallery, access ASL videos and transcripts, and for additional information about the project, visit www.artistsinpresidents.com and www.blackwoodgallery.ca. Melati Suryodarmo (born 1969, Solo, Indonesia) graduated from the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunscheweig, Germany. Her practice is informed by Butoh, dance and history, among other things. Her work is the result of ongoing research in the movements of the body and its relationship to the self and the world. These are translated into photography, dance choreography, video, and live performances. Suryodarmo is interested in the psychological and physical agitations that may be from the self or the world but somehow result in lasting change on the individual. The body is the home for memories and the self, rather than the individual itself, and the body’s system. Photo: Harry Hartantio.

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