Eyes on Hong Kong, mind on the world — Tai Kwun Performing Arts Season: SPOTLIGHT has always advocated for interdisciplinary collaborations, where local artists break free from conceptions of space and form to explore fresh possibilities in the performing arts. As the previous commissions gradually make their way onto the international stage, the season carries on the mission of commissioning original new works, defying conventional performance formats and delving into subject matters that are close to every one of us.
Entering the 4thedition, SPOTLIGHT brings forth five captivating productions by outstanding artists from Hong Kong and around the world. Opening the season is The Monk from Tang Dynasty, a meditative work by acclaimed filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang that transcends boundaries of theatre and painting, leading the audience on an introspective pilgrimage with Buddhist monk Xuanzang. The creative collective Contenidos Superfluos from Catalonia joins hands with Hong Kong talents to adapt their award-winning Dormitory Town into local context, treading a path from the hustle of Tai Kwun to the resting place of souls while reflecting on life and death. Continuing the support for local choreographic creations, the season commissions veteran dance artist Elsie Chau Kam Ngai to create Memory Trace of Western Chamber, a solo dance theatre inspired by the Chinese classic novel where she finds resonance in its central character Cui Yingying. In an age where technology is inseparable from our lives, Tai Kwun invites the Danish theatre collective The Algorithmic Theatre and Hong Kong multi-disciplinary artist Wiki Lo Wan Ki to respond to this social phenomenon with immersive theatrical experiences. The former’s Labyss is a service empowered by artificial intelligence for one to store and retrieve memories in preparation for a future when we can no longer remember. The latter’s Retry Login is a one-on-one conversation, giving room for the audience to share a moment of thoughts with another sentient being – or not. The two productions will be staged simultaneously and in bilingual versions, allowing the audience to experience the bitter-sweetness of technology at one go.
