emma Akmakdjian

Performance with tar. Filmed by Leslie Foster

The film Petrol Culture critiques systems opacity of petroleum chemicals in the domestic sphere. The performance presents tension through differing levels of personal protective equipment; from a full hazmat suit to handling chemicals bare-handed in the kitchen. The shifting level of coherence and the varying levels of understanding of the performer’s behaviors epitomize our difficulty in remaining cognizant of environmental degradation, anthropogenic disasters, and civil rights. To lose touch of these realities poses the risk of contextual collapse of society.