I spent two hours sewing myself to other people to explore the physical representation of relationships. I offered participants to be physically attached to me by string sewn to each of our clothing. We moved around the space during an an art opening bound to each other. Through this action we each became aware of having to delegate which direction to move in while sacrificing some autonomy in our interconnectedness.

Engaging in relationships with others, from a simple interaction to a committed relationship, involves a range of expectations and implications that can be difficult to define. This performance provided a metaphor for this abstract nature and the opportunity to talk openly about the simultaneous comfort and discomfort of intimacy and the vulnerability that comes with it.

I used the traditionally feminine act of sewing with pink and red thread as a recognition of gender expectations regarding women and non-men. These expectations bear a lot of emotional weight and pressure, especially in romantic relationships with the risk of falling into the stereotype of being clingy and burdensome. The threads also mimic anatomical connections, such as veins, blood, nerves, and tendons that carry different things to various parts of the body and are necessary for physical functioning. This intended to comment on the range of relationships as an integral part of human life and to blur the boundaries of physical and emotional.

When I sewed myself to someone, we became committed to each other. One of us moved and the other had to move, too. We were guaranteed the comfort and responsibility of a partner to navigate a public space with. The participant chose when to become detached, and I cut the string down the middle. This left us both with a piece of the string as a tangible memory of our temporary intimate interaction.