Past Exhibition

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Eisa Jocson

(b.1986, Philippine)

Eisa Jocson is a contemporary choreographer and visual artist based in Manila. Jocson focuses on the body in dance to investigate its representation through the prisms of gender and identity, as well as the service and entertainment industries. Her work often emphasizes particular aspects of body politics, such as labor, social mobility, or the dynamics of seduction, refracted through the socioeconomic context of the Philippines.

She has taken part in numerous performing arts festivals around the world, including the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zürich (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017); Tanz im August, Berlin (2013, 2015); the Asia Triennial of Performing Arts (2017); and Dance Platform Germany 2018. In 2014 she held a solo exhibition, Philippine Macho Academy, at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center, University of the Philippines, Manila.

She has participated in international exhibitions including RAM HIGHLIGHT 2018: Is It My Body? at Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai (2018); Leaving the Echo Chamber, Sharjah Biennial 14 (2019); and My Body Holds Its Shape at Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong (2020). In 2018, Jocson was one of the recipients of the 13 Artists Award given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and in 2019 she received the Hugo Boss Asia Art Award.
Exhibitions/Biennale
2024"We are the Superwoman!"(Solo), Art SG 2024, The Columns Gallery Korea
Ten Thousand Suns, Biennale of Sydney 2024, Australia
2023EISA JOCSON: MACHO DANCER, Tate Mordern, 2023.10.12, UK
MACHO DANCING WORKSHOP, Tate Mordern, 2023.10.19, UK
[ASJC Performance & Lecture] Memory Activists: Southeast Asia Performance Archive, Art Sonje Center, 2023.09.09, Korea
Tokyo Gendai, The Columns Gallery, Yokyohama, Japan
Guest Relations, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE
2022Corponomy Installation, National Arts Festival, MONUMENT GALLERY, Republic of South Africa
202111th Seoul Mediacity Biennale: One Escape at A Time, Seoul, Korea
Adorable Big Brother, Asia Culture Center Gwangju, Gwangju, Korea
Sweet, Hause Der Kunst, Munich, Germany
Pasyoke, Bidyoke
2020(Solo) SEA focus 2020, The Columns gallery Singapore
I am afraid that I’ll fall in love with you, Sifang Art Museum, Oct 25.2020 - Nov 25.2020, China
Asia Project-Looking for Another Family, The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, KR
Displace, Embody', UP Vargas Museum, Philippines
My Body Holds Its Shape at Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong
2019Sharjah Biennale 14, new commission and premiere of 'The Filipino Superwoman Band', Sharjah, UAE
Motions of the Kind, Becoming White, Brunie Gallery, School of Oriental African Studies, University if London, London, UK
Princess, da:ns festival, Esplanade Theatre Studio, Singapore
Princess, Taipei Arts Festival Taipei, Taiwan
Corponomy, Oslo Internajonale Teaterfestival, Oslo, Norway
Macho Dancer, Oslo Internajonale Teaterfestival, Oslo, Norway
The Filipino Superwoman Band (premiere), Sharjah Biennale 14, Sharjah, UAE
201813 Artist Awards, Becoming White, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, RP
Bangkok Art Biennale, Becoming White, Bangkok, TH
Host, MADE Festival, Umeå, Sweden
Princess, Moving in November, Helsinki, Finland
Double bill: Macho Dancer and Corponomy, Dampfzentrale, Bern, CH
Princess, Tanzquartier, Vienna, Austria
Macho Dancer, Zoom Festival 2018, Rijeka, Croatia
Macho Dancer, Onassis Cultural Center, Athens Greece
Princess, Oktoberdansm Bergan, Norway
NeoFilipino, Corponomy Digest, Cultural Center of the Philippines, RP
SKIN, PerformanceFest: Staging Alterity, MCAM, Shanghai, China
Double bill: Macho Dancer and Corponomy, Taipei Arts Festival Taipei, Taiwan
Host, Macao Arts Festival, Macao
Corponomy, Bouge B Festival, Antwerp, BE
Macho Dancer, International Performance Art Festival, Copenhagen, DK
Princess, Tanzplattform, Essen, DE
Luna Tunes, Performance commission for In Between Worlds, Juan Luna Exhibition, National Gallery, Singapore
Philippine Macho Academy and Princess exhibition and performance, RAM HIGHLIGHT: Is it My Body?, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2017Miss Ruthless, ParaSite Gallery, Hong Kong
Princess, Spiel Arts festival, Munich, DE
Princess, Tanz in Bern, Dampfzentral, Bern, CH
the Asia Triennial of Performing Arts
Double bill: Macho Dancer and Corponomy premiere), Da:ns festival 2017, Singapore, SG
Corponomy (Avant-Premiere), LIVEWORKS, Sydney, AU
Corponomy (Artist Lecture), NSW Gallery, Sydney, AU
Double Bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Konfrontacje Teatralne 2017, Lublin, PL
Princess, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, BE
Princess, Tanzhaus-nrw, Dusseldorf, DE
Macho Dancer, Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide, AU
Your Highness, Frankfurt LAB, DE
Your Highness, La Batie festival, Geneva,
Your Highness, Zurich Theatre Spektakel, Zurich
Your Highness, European Premiere: International Sommer festval, Hamburg, DE
Your Highness, World Premiere, Cultural Centre of the Philippines, Manila, RP
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, MA scene nationale, Montbeliard, FR
Macho Dancer, Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia
Host, Yokohama Dance Collection, Yokohama, JP
Princess (premiere), Mousonturm Frankfurt, DE
Artist Mentor, Da:ns lab, Da:ns festival 2017, Singapore
XO STATE co-curator, Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia
Artist Talk, Asia Dramaturgs'Network, TPAM, Yokohama, JP
2016Afterwork, ParaSite Gallery, Hong Kong South by Southeast. A Further Surface, Guangdong Times Museum, China
Performance Lecture, Staging Alterity: Dialogues on Different Worlds/ Different Theatres, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Host, Tanz in Bern, Dampfzentrale, Switzerland
Host, OKTOBERDANS 2016, bit Teatergarasjen Bergen, Norway
The Greatest Show on Earth, Kammerspiele, Munchen, DE
The Greatest Show on Earth, Theatre des Amandier Nanterre, Paris, F
The Greatest Show on Earth, Sophiensaela, Berlin, DE
The Greatest Show on Earth, Mousontrum, Frankfurt, DE
The Greatest Show on Earth, Kampnagel, Hamburg, DE
Host, (Philippine premiere) Cultrual Center of the Philippines, Manila, PH
Macho Dancer, Maillon Theatre de Strasbourg, F
Macho Dancer, Vooruit, Ghent, BE
Host, (Belgian premiere) Beursschouwburg, Brussels, BE
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Teatro Municipal do Porto, P
Host, (Austrian Premiere) Tanzquartier, Vienna, A
Karnabal Festival, Manila, Co-Curation
Economic Body, Dance Manila Festival Conference
Guest mentor, Macho Dance 2 week workshop, School of New Dance Development, Amsterdam
2015South by Southeast, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong
Trilogy: Death of the Pole Dancer, Macho Dancer, Host, Counterpulse festival in partnership with SF MOMA, San Francisco, USA
Space, Carriageworks, Sydney, Asutralia
Princess Studies work-in-progress showing, ParaSite, Hong Kong, HK
Trilogy: Death of the Pole Dancer, Macho Dancer, Host, LIVEWORKS: Performance
Space, Carriageworks, Sydney, Asutralia
Alpha, Culture Centrum Brugge, BE
Host, Nooderzon Performing Arts Festival, Groningen, NL
Host, Tanz Im August, Berlin, DE
Host, 36th Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, CH
Macho Dancer, Festival Explicit, hTh CDN Montpellier, FR
Host, German premiere in Tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf, DE
Macho Dancer, Tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf, DE
Macho Dancer, Tanz! Heilbronn: "Manner unter sich" Heilbronn, DE
Macho Dancer, Frascati Issues: Mr. Mrs. MX, Amsterdam, NE
Macho Dancer, DeSingel, Antwerp, BE
Host (work in progress showing), TPAM, Yokohama, JP
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, TPAM, Yokohama, JP
Alpha, Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts, Bangkok, TH
Guest mentor, Transcultural collaboration semester program, University of Zurich, Connecting
Space Hong Kong
Karnabal Festival, Manila, Co-Curation
2014Philippine Macho Academy, curated by Patrick Flores, Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, RP
Group Exhibition
Host (work in progress showing), Working Title Platform #08, workspacebrussels, BE
Macho Dancer, December Dance Brugge, PH
Host (work in progress showing), Morishita Studios, Saison Foundation, Tokyo, JP
Alpha, Tanz in Bern, CH
Alpha, World Premiere Dance Festival Esplanade Singapore
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Time-Based Art Festival, Portland Institute of Contemporary Arts. US
Macho Dancer, Theaterfestivalbasel, Basel, CH
Macho Dancer, Fantasies that Matter. Images of Sexwork in Media and Art. Kampnagel,Hamburg, DE
Macho Dancer, Ten Million Rooms of Yearning. Sex in Hong Kong. Para Site Gallery, HK
Macho Dancer, Theater der Welt, Mannheim, DE
Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Phare West #5 Evening: Eros, Le Phare, Centre Choregraphique National Du Havre Haute-Normandie, FR
Macho Dancer, Queer Zagreb, Zagreb, HR
Death of the Pole Dancer, Asia Focus, AIHALL, Osaka, JP
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Dampfzentrale, Bern, Ch
Double bill: Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Antigel Festival Geneva, CH
2013Macho Dancer, Mousonturm Künstlerhaus, Frankfurt, DE
Macho Dancer, Queer New York International Arts Festival, New York, USA
Death of the Cultural Worker, P-noise Festival, Copenhagen, DK
Death of the Pole Dancer, TABUROPA, Cologne, DE
Macho Dancer, 34th Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, CH
Macho Dancer, Tanz Im August, Berlin, DE
Macho Dancer, Nooderzon Performing Arts Festival, Groningen, NL
Macho Dancer, Impulstanz 8:tension Series, Vienna, AT
Macho Moves, Performance Installation, 1335 Mabini Gallery, Manila, PH
Macho Dancer, Premiere, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, BE
Death of the Pole Dancer and Macho Dancer, Exodus Festival, Ljubljana, SI
Stainless Pole Macho, Feminist Strategies conference, World University, Aalborg, DK
2012Macho Dancer, Working Title Platform, Workspacebrussels, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, BE
Death of the Pole Dancer, IT IS NOT (A) FAIR, Tanzquartier Wien ,Vienna, AT
Death of the Pole Dancer, 33th Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, CH
Up, (dance commission and premiere) Dansand!, Ostend, BE
2011Death of the Pole Dancer, Baroque Bodies Festival, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, BE
Death of the Pole Dancer, (premiere) In Transit performance art festival, Haus der
Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, DE, developed during residency at Nadine, Brussels, BE
I am not a Robot, Ballet Philippines??Kabaret, Arts in the City, Taguig, PH
2010Apollo 11, Works in progress, Monsoon encounters, Leuven, BE
Horizontal/Vertical Dialogues, Monsoon, Leuven, BE
Festival opening, Coup de Ville, Sint-Niklaas, BE
Strange Pilgrims, Magnet Katipunan, Manila, PH
Politics of Pole, The Living Room, Manila, PH
Flesh Steel and Codecs, FoAM, Brussels, BE
Stainless Borders: The Deconstruction of Architectures of Control
public interventions, Coup de Ville, Sint-Niklaas, BE
public interventions, FoAM residency, Brussels, BE
public interventions, Manila, PH
Politics of Pole, Research Gathering, The Living Room, Manila, PH
Flesh Steel and Codecs, Timelab, Ghent, BE
Flesh Steel and Codecs, FoAM: Research Gathering, Brussels, BE
Selected Awards, Residencies and Grants
2023Tabori Award International, Fonds Darstellende Künste
2021SeMA-HANA Media Art Award, Seoul MediaCity Biennale
2019The final winner of Hugo Boss Asia Art Awards 2019
20182018 Thirteen Artist Awardee, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Princess, one of the outstanding productions in Germany, Tanzplattform, Essen, DE
2017Development and Technical residency for Corponomy, LIVEWORKS Festival, Sydney, AU
2016Invited Artist, Tanzplattform, Frankfurt, DE
2015Special Combination, Asia-Australia artist exchange, Melbourne Australia
Para Site, Artist in Residence, Hong Kong, HK
Tanzhaus nrw, Technical Residency for Host, Dusseldorf, DE
Painofabrik, Artist in Residence, Brussels, BE
2014Workspacebrussels, residency and co-production grant Brussels, BE
Artist Research Residency, Saison Foundation, Tokyo, JP
2013The Zürcher Kantonalbank Acknowledgment Prize, Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zurich, CH
Prix Jardin Europe nominee for young choreographers, Impulstanz, Vienna, AT
Wp Zimmers, 2-week technical residency and support, Antwerp, BE
2012Workspacebrussels, 1-month residency and co-production grant Brussels, BE
2011International Visitors Program, Tokyo Culture Creation Project, JP
Nadine, 2-month residency and production grant, Brussels, BE
2010FoAM, 1-month residency, Brussels, BE
Selected participant, SoundImageCulture, Brussels, BE
Education
2009Apprenticeship program, Art Students League of New York, NYC, USA
2008University of the Philippines, BFA in Visual Communication
2003Philippine High School for the Arts, majored in Visual Arts, minored in Ballet