Sisi Wattanagool, a student at Lake Forest College, recently shared his experience of unexpectedly entering the world of performance art. Through the college’s In The Loop program, Wattanagool participated in courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), expecting to focus on photography and filmmaking.
Wattanagool explained, “Last semester, I took a performance class… accidentally. Last week, I performed at Yoko Ono’s exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago… intentionally and proudly.”
He described how he initially signed up for a course titled “Lens-Based Performance,” believing it would enhance his skills as a photographer. With prior experience documenting theater productions at Lake Forest College and volunteering at theater festivals in Bangkok, Wattanagool saw himself primarily behind the camera.
“It turns out, it was mostly a performance class,” he said. In his first session with Professor Kat Bawden, students were asked to create gestures based on chosen words. Wattanagool chose “Body” and filmed himself hugging his own body—a moment that challenged his self-perception as an artist.
After several weeks studying artists such as Ana Mendieta, Wafaa Bilal (whom he met), Carolee Schneemann, Adrian Piper, and Yoko Ono, Wattanagool found himself increasingly interested in performance art and its emphasis on intention and vulnerability.
“Then Kat invited our class to be part of a Yoko Ono performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA),” he said.
Wattanagool concluded by saying he felt honored to participate alongside respected artists: “I’m grateful this ‘accident’ expanded my understanding of what I can be as an artist.”
