DREAM DANGEROUS (2020)

Zadie Xa and Benito Mayor Vallejo

In a dark and eerily quiet gallery just before Lockdown 2.0 Dream Dangerous (2020), a new piece by Zadie Xa and Benito Mayor Vallejo, was performed for Frieze LIVE. Born in 1983 and based in London, Korean-Canadian artist Zadie Xa works in painting, textiles, film and performance. Through her practice she examines her own identity within the Korean diaspora, often using water and marine ecologies as metaphors for exploring the unknown. Dream Dangerous (2020) responds directly to work by Anthea Hamilton, Mandy El-Sayegh and Haroon Mirza and is performed in the context of the COVID-19 Lockdown, specifically the spike in racial attitudes towards east Asians. Inaugurated by dancer Jia-Yu Corti, Dream Dangerous (2020) serves as a commentary on matrilineal heritage, Korean culture and Oriental imagery in western culture. Our first glimpse of our protagonist, Corti, is as she slowly emerges from the dark corner of a patterned gallery space. Cinched at the waist, and with terrifyingly beautiful makeup by artist Ophelia Liu, Corti is a fascinating sight to behold. Sharp orange cheekbones, ghostly pale skin and deep-set, angular eyes, Liu’s makeup artistry contrasts angularity with the softness and beauty of traditional makeup reminiscent of Japanese Geishas

Corti’s movements are simultaneously threatening and elegant. Balletic hand gestures are juxtaposed to short, sharp, defensive movements – a raised hand, a quick turn of the head. She appears on edge, unsure of her surroundings and ready at any moment to flee. This nervous energy pulsates throughout the gallery. Her eyes dart around the room, taking in those (un)lucky enough to share her space. Soon enough, her mouth begins to widen into a smile, and sound erupts. Strangely enough, it is the inside of her mouth that grabs our attention. A pit of dark saliva and blackened teeth emerge where a gleaming white smile ought to be. Breathing loudly and sharply as she moves closer to us, her mouth now wide open, Corti has transformed; she is the embodiment of fear. Throughout the next few minutes, until the end of this first ‘act’, Corti’s movements are frantic. She moves closer and closer to the viewer, seemingly out of control and overcome by emotion. At one point, with her back on the ground and limbs raised, we witness what can only be described as an exorcism. Her facial expressions explode with unintelligible emotion and maniacal laughter erupts. Her dark, black tongue wriggles around, desperate to escape from the confines of her own mouth. Before long, the bizarre ceremony is over. Corti returns back to the darkened corner she came from, and relieved applause erupts from the small crowd that has gathered.

In the next ‘scene’ we are presented with a completely different environment. Corti’s hair is now down, and somewhat bedraggled. The gallery space is different – with posters on the wall and a small kinetic sculpture on the ground producing a repetitive thud. Her movements are slow and fluid, in time with the pulsating music that now fills the air, she seems calmer, and more focused. As she interacts with the objects around her, her body begins to jolt and move in time with the beat until she finally comes across what she is looking for. A strange conch-like helmet that is filled with a neon blue glow, the object becomes the focus of her obsession and fascination. It is revered, as if an object of religious value, and when placed gently on top of her head, Corti’s body almost audibly ripples with pleasure. It fits perfectly, illuminating her facial expression, and provides a focal point for us to watch as she continues to manoeuvre around the room. In much the same way as before, Corti slowly moves to a dark corner indicating that she is about to leave. She places her helmet on the ground before slipping into the darkness. The applause re-erupts, this time with the knowledge that the figure really has gone. Through the brilliant movement, acting and sheer emotion of Jia-Yu Corti, Zadie Xa and Benito Mayor Vallejo capture a world where femininity, strength, anxiety and diaspora are combined. Dream Dangerous (2020) reminds us of our own fears, whilst drawing attention to the viral xenophobia that infected our world after February 2020.