The Buddhist Bug seeks to map a new spiritual and social landscape through its surreal existence amongst ordinary people and everyday environments. Captured and exhibited primarily as photography, video, and performance-installations, the Bug is an interdisciplinary ongoing series of performances that explore issues of displacement and belonging. Anida Yoeu Ali’s works attempt to find crucial intersections between performing narratives and audience engagement. The Bug is a fantastic saffron-colored creature that can span the length of a 40-metre bridge or coil into a small orange ball. Rooted in an autobiographical exploration of identity, the Bug comes from the artist’s own spiritual turmoil between Islam and Buddhism. Set amongst everyday people in ordinary moments, the Bug provokes obvious questions of belonging and displacement. Each vignette presents a moment of real life with the element of the Bug making each frame more surreal and provocative. Consistent throughout this series is the unique combination of humor and otherness. The project reflects the artist’s personality, one that combines humor, performance, science fiction and Ali’s love of everyday culture into moments that transcend the ordinary.
Offerings, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Morning Prayers, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Off The Land, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Bridge Over A Small River, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Oxcart Grazing, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Secret Lagoon, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Roll Call, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
The Old Cinema, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2014
Offthe Golden Ship, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2013
On the River, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2013
Around Town 2, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2012
Spiral-Alley, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2012
Campus Dining, The Buddhist Bug Series, Digital C print, 2012
Little Mosque on the River, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2014
Little Mosque on the River, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2014
The Old Cinema, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2014
Campus Meal, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2012
Campus Meal, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2012
Spiral Cyclo, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2012
Spiral Cyclo, The Buddhist Bug Series, Video still, 2012
The Buddhist Bug, Live Performance, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Live Performance, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Live Performance, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Live Performance, JavaArts, 2013
The Buddhist Bug, Live Performance, JavaArts, 2013
The Buddhist Bug, Exhibition view, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Exhibition view, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Exhibition view, Fukuoka Triennale 5, 2014
The Buddhist Bug, Exhibition view, JavaArts, 2013
The Buddhist Bug, Exhibition view, JavaArts, 2013