
Burmese visual and performance artist Moe Satt uses the body as a primary site for exploring identity, perception, and political resistance. His performance is on view at COKO Space.
F n' F (Face and Fingers) is a choreographed exploration of the formal and symbolic relationship between the face and hands. Rooted in a childhood memory of his mother describing his "artist's hands", the work transforms personal anatomy into a universal sign language.
Developed in collaboration with performer Liah Frank, the piece presents 108 movement combinations, a number deeply rooted in Asian cosmology. It refers to the 108 Ayurvedic pressure points and the 108 questions posed to Gautama Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy, 108 also represents infinity and the totality of existence. From unfolding gestures to the layered meanings of a pointing finger, the performance culminates in a fifteen-year chronological study of the expressive dialogue between hand and face.
Moe Satt, 2012, Myanmar, color, sound, HD video, 7:14 min
Hands Around in Yangon is a conceptual video artwork by artist Moe Satt that explores identity and culture through close-ups and repetitive hand gestures. The film focuses on gestures from daily life and labor, such as counting money or peeling vegetables, and emphasizes the "quasi-ritualistic" nature of everyday actions.
Born in Yangon, Myanmar, Satt is a visual and performance artist currently living and working in Amsterdam. In his practice, he uses the body as a primary site for exploring identity, perception, and political resistance. Satt is best known for developing a distinctive vocabulary of hand gestures and minimal actions that reflect complex socio-political tensions.
A former resident of the Rijksakademie (2022–2024) and finalist for the Hugo Boss Asia Art Award in 2015, his work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Bangkok Art Biennale (2024), Biennale Jogja XV (2019) and the Busan Biennale (2012). In 2024, he debuted F n' F (Face and Fingers) at The Tanks at Tate Modern. His work is held in major public and private collections including Tate Modern, Singapore Art Museum, Kadist and TBA21.
Liah Frank
Born in Israel in June 1998, she graduated in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Modern Theatre Dance from the Amsterdam University of the Arts (Amsterdam Academy of Theatre and Dance). Since graduating, she has been based in the dutch capital and has worked with choreographers such as Nicole Beutler, Jordy Dik, Heather Ware, Keren Levi, Chokri Ben Chikha, Maguy Marin, and Moe Satt. She has also participated in various productions for the Dutch National Opera, where she collaborated with Steef de Jong, Ivo van Hove, and others.
She is currently completing her master's degree in Dance Movement Therapy at Codarts in Rotterdam. Liah and Moe have been working together since 2023 and have presented their duet at Rijksakademie Open Studios, Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Belgium, and Plastique Danse Flore in France, among others.