Fair Warning to the Gods
(Bullwhip, Horsewhip, Stockwhip)
2024
Paracord, sting-ray barbs, kevlar thread, paracord innards, steel rod, bamboo, rattan, manila rope, yarn, wire, wax
Dimensions variable
Commissioned by Apexart for Goddess Tales, curated by Katie Yook
Fair Warning to the Gods is an extension of the weapon series Tropical Dissent (2018-ongoing) and was created in tandem with the video work, A Supersonic Requiem (2024).
This series of whips engages with the existence of a parallel spirit world and the interconnectivity of the preternatural and physical planes. The incorporation of stingray barbs in each design directly references the Buntot Pagi - a stingray tail used as a flexible, whipping weapon in Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). It is known to be wielded traditionally in spiritual rituals to protect against the wrath of feared ancestors, deities, and preternatural beings, as the venom from the poisonous barbs was believed to be effective to cause excruciating wounds, even for mythical creatures.
Fair Warning to the Gods considers these sting-ray barbed whips as a kind of ‘paranormal warfare technology’ that provide protection from evil and may aid as a defensive strategy to appease unsettled spirits. They reference three different types of whips, each employed in FMA for specific reasons of combat.
Exhibition History: Apexart (2024)