Train Easy, Fight Sleazy
In this piece, Jean-Pierre Mot explores the rules of engagement through the figure of a corrupt scoundrel. He rejects the traditional warrior’s creed that promises glory to those who “train hard” to “fight easy”. Refusing to bend to morality, ethics or sportsmanship, he chooses to believe that only dupes of the system give credit to institutionalized fairy tales that equate hard work with retirement plans. Feeling empowered to lead the hedonistic lifestyle he prefers, Mot trains easy and fights sleazy.
Mot’s participative actions create tension between himself and his audience, and seek to intimidate viewers by confronting them with their fear of physical or spiritual suffering.
The artist has created the persona of the fighter as a result of his performative research titled “la kinésiologie de l’Asie du Sud-Est” (the kinesiology of South-East Asia), and explorations of gamelan music, and the rhythms and movements of Muay Thai boxers, Apsara dancers (traditional Cambodian dancers), and Mekong fishers.
