Islanders walk into the sea and row to move their militarization-ridden island away from it's geographical, political and cultural determination.
The video work was produced in Okinawa, an island that has a history of being platform for proxy warfare
and still bears military bases as a result of a never ending cold war. Locals trying to protect their livelihood and endemic environment fight against US/Japanese global security politics. In analogy to the ongoing protests and attempts to distinguish themselves from Japan, environmental activists were asked to participate in a performative act that was conducted on shores all around the island. In the video they can be seen walking into the sea rowing, using their hands and traditional boat race oars. Standing on each shore side of the island their bodies encompass the island totally, imagining that their bodies become a part of the island and move it southward like a ship, leaving it's geographical, political and cultural determination behind.
