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I Was Born Knowing You, investigates how an external body politic might exist or alter the physiology of the body. Identity, empathy, judgment and intimacy are all exafferences in the Othered body, and these effects exist physically as well as psychologically. Through the lens of the monstrous, alien or mutant body, the unfamiliar and abject experience of our corporeality can be discussed at safe distance. Archetypal Othered bodies; the femme, the queer, the beast, the mutant, question the boundaries of familiarity and examine how more foreign or unfamiliar bodies are perceived. Within these creatures, the monstrous body is utilized as a space for discussing judgment, hate, love, and disgust. Raising the question of whether it is possible to empathize and care for something that defies categorization and recognition. Drawing from various sources, including insights on consciousness and explorations of love, intimacy politics and relationships, the complexities of empathy and the boundaries of care are pulled apart. Arguably, learning to care for the Other involves extending the boundaries of care consciousness beyond reflexive instincts. Influenced by relational care ethics and explorations of the human-animal divide, these bodies induce discomfort and reflection through challenging perceptions of the familiar and unsettling.
