Disrupted Proprioception

Xinying Miao

xmiao7300@gmail.com

This project explores proprioception, focusing on how the perception of one’s own body becomes unstable during illness or altered physical states. Through photography, I examine moments in which the body appears misaligned, uncertain, and difficult to control. The gestures and postures within the images do not aim to clearly define the body, but instead evoke a sense of disconnection from it. The body begins to feel unfamiliar, blurring the boundary between self and physical presence. I am particularly interested in how subtle shifts in movement and posture can suggest a loss of internal orientation. This work captures a state suspended between control and loss of control, revealing a subtle yet persistent sense of vulnerability and unease. It reflects an experience in which the body is still present, yet no longer fully reliable or easily understood.

My project combines landscape photography and a 3D model, reflecting the culture I grew up in. I found echoes of home in brutalist architecture’s harsh, concrete forms, offering comfort. By reconstructing my childhood city using London’s structures, I created a hybrid landscape where nostalgia and alienation meet. At the heart of the project is "Nevalyashka", a tumbling doll, symbolising the balance and instability of navigating life between two cultures.