Hugging Project is to measure the bodies of thirteen international resident artists at MoMA PS1 between 2003 and 2004 with arm-hugging. The resident artists and I are hugging each other with both arms, marking the scales by pressing the inside of the left arm with right-hand nail. After the hugging, I use a marker to mark the measurement and ask the artists to write down their names. The process is repeated after I finish measuring the bodies of all these artists. In the end, I film my left arm and hug myself with my both arms, pressing hard and creating a mark on my back with the nails of my both hand. I ask someone else to mark the measurement with a marker and write down my name. I also film this process. Therefore, the measure of the bodies of all the resident artists at PS1 is recorded on my body.
Friendship can hardly be measured, but I want to create a visual document of the year I spent with these artist friends. However, the mark of every hug ironically implies Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation and ideological division.