Unapologetic Coughing is a performative response to the hysteria around Coronavirus. It adopts a medical symptom, psychogenic coughing, as a core medium. This least hygienic human gesture will be used for expressing emotional discomfort and mental distress caused by the racialisation of the global pandemic. Having recognised the shocking level of racist attacks on Asian population all over the world including her personal experience, Youngsook delivers this performance with a sense of urgency and to discuss this repetitive narrative of using pandemic hysteria as a justification of violence towards socio-cultural minorities. Unapologetic Coughing invites the audience to take part in a collective reading, sing-along, set of Chinese Whispers, and to most importantly ‘own’ the right to cough.

Shown at: Raven Row (2020) as part of ‘Un-racialising the coronavirus epidemic‘ in support of Asia-Art-Activism , ‘With For About 2020‘ conference in support of Heart of Glass.

Interview with Subtropical Asia ‘Owning the Right to Cough: A Live Performance Against the COVID-19 Related Racism Crisis’, Joseph Wang. 

Mentioned in: Can cultural organisations ever be radical? (Lois Keidan, Arts Professional),  Notes from an infected island (Alicja Rogalska, Ello, in Polish); ‘Conversation and Convergences for Solidarity’, On Solidarity, Performance Research Vol. 27 (5), edited by Noyale Colin and Stefanie G. Sachsenmaier.

Photo Credit: Nurri Kim