Eisa Jocson (Philippines)

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Eisa Jocson is a contemporary choreographer and dancer from the Philippines. Trained as a visual artist, and with a background in ballet, Jocson exposes body politics in the service and entertainment industry as seen through the unique socioeconomic lens of the Philippines. She studies how the body moves and what conditions make it move – be it social mobility or movement out of the Philippines through migrant work. In all her creations – from pole to macho dancing and hostess to Disney princess to Superwoman to zoo animals – capital is the driving force of movement pushing the indentured body into spatial geographies. A host and disruptor, her practice is an embodied archive of Filipino labour.

Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous assistance from Mercedes U. Zobel.