Charcoal is an essential material to the performance and installation in “I’m a Ghost in My Own House”. Prevalent as a source of fuel in Southeast Asian countries, it is made by cooking wood in a low-oxygen environment to evaporate off all water and harden it. As a material, charcoal is life-sustaining because it provides heat and fire; yet it also has the capacity to burn and destroy. For twelve hours, Melati Suryodarmo crush hundreds of charcoal briquettes on a grinding table. This stupendous durational performance saw her putting all her energy into turning the material to dust, yet these are also actions that strip charcoal of its potential energy, causing it to lose its efficacy and function.

Duration of the performance: 12 hours
Documentation: The documentation of the I'm a Ghost in My Own House“ performance was taken at the Lawangwangi Arts and Creative Space, Bandung, Indonesia on Oct 3rd, 2012.

Detail pictures:

Collections

Related Works: