Body // Society

The human body is the central scene of social processes. An interface between the individual and society, it transmits messages both conscious ad unconscious. Ideally possessed of free agency and the ability to limn its own public image, it also becomes a screen onto which society projects its expectations. This complex tension between surveillance and self-determination informs its being no less than its role as a medium of communication. Gestures, facial expressions, modes of physical articulation often operate beyond the confines of spoken language, injecting universal messages into social contexts. The exhibition examines the interactions that become manifest between the body as a social symbol and its individual expressive force, and reflects on society’s role as a passive observer and active source of formative influence.