part 4. the restroom (2025)
Electric installation, interactive – massage gun, keys, towels and human
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‘Clandestine service, massaged’ multiple guns installed on the wall exhausted from their duty of bringing relief. They wait, anticipating interaction, vibrating with a barely audible hum of longing. Nearby, a "secret key", in case the interaction becomes too intense, towels hang invitingly, waiting to mop up the sweat of engagement. The installation is inviting a collaborative soundscape. Each visitor contributes to an evolving symphony, where personal rhythms merge into a collective beat. There’s an irresistible tension between temptation and service, between the tools as objects and instruments of expression. The sensation overtakes you, leaving you rejuvenated, in tune, and just a little closer to healthy harmony, welcome to the restroom!
‘Clandestine service, massaged’ multiple guns installed on the wall, they’re super tired waiting for people to massage them.
In this 5-minute improvised performance, Zhuyang Liu invites five participants to engage in a massage experience that explores sound, body, and space. Each participant prepares a word or sentence to express by their personal intention.
The first performer begins by speaking amidst the crowd during the private review, then walks toward the massage guns. As the vibrations surge through their back, their voice becomes distorted, fragmented into a trembling cadence. The remaining participants take their positions at the massage stations, awaiting their turn.
Using a tuning app, Zhuyang adjusts each participant’s most comfortable range, one by one, their voices join in, creating a humorous, chaotic, yet strangely harmonious soundscape. Words and sounds, distorted by vibration and absurdity, evolve into a collaborative symphony—a playful tension between tools as objects and instruments of expression, autonomy and surrender. The unpredictable sounds leave both participants and spectators caught between laughter and contemplation.
