Arna Beth
Through frameworks of critical theory kin to xenofeminism, dromology and necropolitics, Arna constructs immersive, non-linear narratives, attempting to destabilize a dromocratic present.
Arna Beth x Song Xin at Somers Gallery
11. February 2025Invited to collaborate on a 15-minute performance for The New Continuum at Somers Gallery, we developed a ritualistic exploration of form and control using polymorph plastic, a material that melts in hot water and remains briefly malleable. Stretching, pulling, and pressing the plastic over a wire armature, we generated fleshy, semi-transparent shapes, each uniquely distorted as they cooled into permanence.
The atmosphere was charged with strobe lights and fog, evoking an apocalyptic tension. A laser acted as a guiding force, shifting focus between stages of creation while subtly referencing medical and military precision. The soundscape, composed in Ableton, unfolded in six acts, blending Phrygian-scale melodies, arpeggiated synths, and ghostly pads with the metallic clatter of reloading rifles and the reverberated decay of gunshots—merging the organic with the mechanized.
Our uniforms enforced anonymity, casting us as drone-like agents of an unseen directive, yet subtle variations hinted at repressed individuality and eroticism beneath the sterile facade. Originally, we experimented with embedding lasers into our hands using polymorph, but the performance evolved into a dynamic, real-time sculpting process, with the laser mounted above to project onto the evolving forms. The result was a transient, hybrid entity—born from the collision of ritual and control.