Muscle memory refers to procedural memory, actions taken that do not require conscious thought (like riding a bike) as the motor movement has been embedded in the brain through repetition. Contextual mistakes in muscle memory—such as someone attempting to zoom in while drawing on paper versus a tablet computer or double-tapping a photograph instead of a social media feed—prove a potent starting point for Doe's latest body of work.
As we traverse an era dominated by algorithms and driven by the impulse for efficiency, we increasingly sacrifice our ability to feel. In this "age of emotional poverty," highlighted by philosopher Byung-Chul Han, our emotional landscapes grow flatter, our pains diluted, and genuine intimacy replaced with a sterile digital façade. However, in Gulu's evocative imagery, the body emerges as a resilient space of resistance, pushing back against a world that demands we conform to neat, predictable narratives.