Human, Vermin is a forthcoming 72-hour solo durational, livestreamed performance and exhibition set inside a human-sized cage. In 'Human, Vermin,' I perform as an imprisoned pest in a physical-theater experiment where the audience can manipulate my movement and environment. Surrounding the cage is a visual and textual exhibition about how marginalized bodies and animals are treated under a patriarchal science. As the US strips bodies of their rights, this project asks: How are humans treated “like animals?” Can one have rights if the other doesn’t? How are the politics of disgust mapped on to humans and pests alike?

This work is born from this sociopolitical lens and also from my personal experiences working with animals in conservation settings. I’m thinking about the loss of abortion rights, shark oil in lipstick, the meat industry, fake meat, sex robots, surrogacy and cloning experiments, sterilization, medical research, and other ways in which domination ensues.

This exhibition is currently seeking residency and commissioning partners. It is designed to be a durational performance in a gallery, black-box theater, or museum setting. However, other forms of the work have also emerged from its themes, including short-form dance-theater work and an idea for a play.