light x body

The kinesphere, a term coined by Rudolf Laban, defines “the sphere around the body whose periphery can be reached by easily extended limbs without stepping away from that place which is the point of support when standing on one foot.”

Conceptualized at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, light x body is an ongoing project that explores how the kinesphere can be perceived as an emotional medium for connection. Using light and movement, I aim to visualize how the boundaries of the emotional kinesphere go beyond our physical reach.

Illuminating the Kinesphere


Before the pandemic, our kinespheres would often collide and intersect with each other — walking on busy sidewalks, sitting in public transportation, mingling at events. We shared space. Once the pandemic hit, we were all asked to distance from one another. We stood 6 feet apart. We isolated in our homes. When we’re physically apart, how do we connect with each other? I asked…

“How can I feel connected to you?”

While we can only touch what enters our kinesphere, the impact we have on each other extends beyond this. I propose that we all possess an emotional kinesphere that has no limits. Connection is both tangible and intangible.

To visualize the kinesphere and push its physical limitations, I combined light and movement. Light, an intangible material, travels an infinite distance until absorbed. While holding a light source, I danced around one point. Using long exposure photography, I captured my movements over an extended period of time. In these images, I’ve illuminated my kinesphere and painted its extension, the emotional kinesphere, onto my surroundings.

Despite the distances that may separate us, we continue to think about each other, miss each other, and love each other. Through this work, I comment that human connection is not bound by our physical reach.

SPECIFICATIONS

LIGHT X BODY. 2020 - ONGOING. PHOTOGRAPHY.