One Step Away, Intervention, Hubei, China, 2020.

 

Due to the pandemic, almost all access to major roads in China was restricted during the lockdown, cities were left isolated. I met up with my childhood friend at the border between Wuhan and Hanchuan, both behind the roadblocks set up on each side. We stood facing each other and performed a tango dance to Por Una Cabeza, a well-known Spanish tango song (The Chinese translation title named yibu zhiyao, which literally means one step away). This piece is to recreate a scene in which people under strict government control and supervision can meet but cannot touch (also corresponding to the concept of social distancing implemented in various regions over the world during the epidemic). Due to the nature of tango, which requires both dance partners to support the other, when we were dancing individually, it came off as quite clumsy and hilarious. The meaning behind ‘one step away’ became quite ironic, yet also tragic and romantic. In addition, we were not allowed to obtain any footage of the COVID-19 clinic stations nearby, the physical distance was maintained between us and the health workers, and we were under constant and close monitoring for the entire duration of the performance. We were asked to stop filming and leave the area shortly after. This signifies the one step away between us and them, and the one step away between us and power. 

 

This work was recorded on the last day of the lockdown right before the mandate was lifted, as workers began to remove the roadblocks, we were still dancing, witnessing the moment of the final lifting of the lockdown in Wuhan, China not far away.