hot tongues

“The tongue is the longest muscle in the human body. If all human tongues were laid end to end they would orbit the earth over 150,000 times in an enormous tongue superhighway. If all tongues of all creatures human and non-human were laid end to end, the entire notion of time and space would dissolve. Woodpeckers wrap their tongues around their brains to absorb shock whilst hammering their heads against tree trunks. This is also why some people do not wear bicycle helmets. The tongues of some species of butterfly are over twice the length of their bodies. This is also why some people find it hard to express their emotions. Every tongue is a unique biome with its own chemical composition. This is also why the soil in different places lends itself to different crops.“

A collective chant is facilitated of the word ‘tongue’ in over a hundred languages pronounced simultaneously from different corners of an abandoned car park. Meanwhile the entire space is wrapped inside a giant felt tongue and many tongue shaped puppets fall from the ceiling to be tossed around to the rhythm of the tongue-sound-chorus. Produced on the occasion of Temporary Autonomous Art (TAA), DIY underground arts festival, London, September 2019.

Photo: Raquel Natalicchio.