Retina Maneuver – live performance and a memory in flames
A man from Taiwan served in the military.
He loves the song āGirl on Fireā by Alicia Keys.
He has sung it many times in karaoke bars.
For him, the song is an anthem for queer people.
But when he sings the song again,
something unexpected happens:
He can no longer remember
where he was in his life back then –
September 4, 2012, when the song was released.
He searches his digital memories:
Photos, videos, old files.
Fragments of his past come back to him.
He remembers violence and destruction.
It is a difficult, painful journey.
In his live performance
Wang tries to build a picture of his past – using only
only from what remains in his head.
In doing so, he shows:
– Memory is fragile
– Everything can disappear in an instant
– But even pain can become art