bunion2bunion is an artistic investigation into our relationships with our bodies, inheritance, beauty, ugliness, defect measurement and DIY self-healing. This multi-faceted exploration centers around the bunion, “a common deformity of the joint connecting the big toe to the foot” (Wikipedia), a common condition oftentimes associated with bewilderment, denial or helplessness. It includes casts of mine and my grandmas' bunioned feet; a bunions tote bag with a publication on inheritance; an intriguing foray into the world of bunion fetish; an aspiration to create the world’s largest archive of bunion images; a panel discussion bringing together various fields; a group attempt at the world’s most number of bunions in a single photo; a bunion awareness poster-making workshop; a bunion massage workshop; a performance with my grandma. bunion2bunion also strives to present an international history of the bunion in human civilisation, serving as resource center and amateur museum featuring paraphernalia such as a homemade Bunion Measuring Apparatus, splints and orthotics. This inquiry is also a way to consider: who art audiences are; definitions of art; interactions between art and other fields (especially the medical); how art can influence the daily and vice versa. bunion2bunion was part of the Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize exhibition at the Autzen Gallery, Portland State University, 2-25 October 2017. bunion2bunion poster with full list of programs [email protected] A project by Bunion Research Specialist Xi Jie Ng (Salty) |