Qigong is a collection of health videos that were commissioned by FREEWAVES for its “Long Live LA” program. These were exhibited on the MTA buses as part of FREEWAVES’ “Out the Window” project. This series, based on Qigong the Chinese practice of energy cultivation. In each of the videos–Breathe, Stiff, Sluggish, and Energy—people in everyday situations are waiting for the bus or riding uncomfortably. Simple text in Spanish, English, and Chinese poses questions like “Feeling Stiff?” accompanied by upbeat music. Then comes a playful solution as one person begins to do simple exercises and the others follow suit, transforming the boring anonymity of the bus into a scene of camaraderie through movement.

A second series, Energy Systems, addresses Qigong in a way that illustrates the underlying philosophy of the practice and how it works within our bodies. Waterfall and Nature depict silhouettes of human bodies as images of nature flow through them. Graphics on these two videos were by Peter Bill.

Traffic is a series of videos exhibited on billboards on major LA thoroughfares (Wilshire and Sunset Boulevards), juxtaposing live Los Angeles traffic with the ebb and flow of projected traffic from Tokyo, Lima, and Ho Chi Minh City. Different vehicles, city  planning,  weather  and  rhythms of life shape the traffic  patterns  in each of these locations, as individuals fight to reach  their respective destinations. In the style of “intervenciones,” as practiced by artists in Perú, passersby in LA were reminded of other types of transit experiences in foreign lands. Videos can be viewed here.