The Buddhist Bug

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 100-meter 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.