Join us as we celebrate the opening reception and performance of Anida Yoeu Ali: The Buddhist Bug!
Marking the first major solo exhibition of the series in the U.S., The Buddhist Bug is an internationally-acclaimed and expansive performance project that brings together myth, humor, spiritual inquiry, and the lived experience of displacement. At its center is a monumental saffron-colored creature, nearly 328 feet in length, with a human face tightly framed in cloth at one end and a pair of feet at the other.
During the afternoon, artist Anida Yoeu Ali will offer two live performances as the Bug, a creature who —using humor and absurdity—seeks to initiate conversations about topics regarding otherness, foreignness, and religious identity. The constructed garment is rooted in Ali’s own diasporic identity and responds to her spiritual turmoil between Islam and Buddhism. Its bright orange color is the same one worn by Buddhist monks, and represents Cambodia’s profound Buddhist culture, while the cloth that tightly encircles the Bug’s stoic face represents both the hijab worn by some Muslim women, and the ethnic minority of Cham Muslims to which Ali and her family belong.
The event will open with a blessing ceremony led by Buddhist monks, a traditional Cambodian dance performance, and Ali’s anticipated performance as The Buddhist Bug.
Guests are encouraged to wear orange in solidarity with the artwork and themes of The Buddhist Bug. Viewers are also welcome to actively witness, interact, and engage with the Bug within their own comfort level.
Free and open to the public. RSVPs encouraged.:
https://vpam.org/event/opening-reception-for-anida-yoeu-ali-the-buddhist-bug/
