Xavier Cha: abduct

Xavier Cha explores the body, self, and mediated experience within contemporary culture. She directs actors or participants through focused, controlled scenarios that generate intense expressions and reactions. Drawn to highly physical activities, Cha also has collaborated with opera singers, clowns, dancers, and body builders. In her work, the body is revealed as both a sculptural object and a powerful, responsive, and malleable machine.

For abduct, Cha presents a newly commissioned video that captures actors as they battle conflicting emotions. While outwardly (and non-verbally) expressing an extreme emotion, such as livid rage, a more subtle emotion emerges from beneath the surface, like the corners of the actor's mouth distorting to suppress laughter. Both emotions function as foreign agents attempting to gain dominance, or hijack the vehicle of the actor's facial expression and body.

abduct was produced in collaboration with Frieze Film, a series of new films commissioned from established and emerging artists premiered annually as part of Frieze Projects, Frieze London's non-profit curated program. Frieze Film is supported by Channel 4's Random Acts, who also broadcast the commissions.

Xavier Cha (b. Los Angeles) lives and works in New York. Solo exhibitions of her works have been held at 47 Canal, New York (2015, 2012); the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2011); and Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis (2010). Her performances have been presented at INOVA, Milwaukee (2015); and New Museum, New York (2013). She has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara (2015); Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany (2014); Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia (2012); The Kitchen, New York (2010); Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2009); and the 12 Biennale de Lyon (2013). In 2014, Cha was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts.