Broken Wings, 2019

Muslin hoop skirt, hundreds of porcelain bees

Choreography and garment

Performance photos credit to MCA Chicago

In “Broken Wings”, a muslin undergarment referencing the hoop skirt of an aristocratic woman becomes a metaphor for the negative impact of forward progress. The skirt is a mixture of a performance piece and a still sculpture. When on a mannequin, the skirt shows the beauty of each individual, delicate bee made of porcelain. When worn by a performer, the mass of bees clinks together with every step. The fragile wings of the bees tinkle against each other and break- unless the performer stands still.