Interview by William Chan
Three musicians, an artist and a writer will join together to co-create the performance “Season f/w – Wander with the Wind” this coming Saturday, the performers told The Macau Post Daily at their practice room in Areia Preta district last week.
The exclusive interview was with musicians Hong Iat U, Akitsugu Fukushima and Ivan Wing; artist Fan Sai Hong; as well as curator and writer Pal Lok.
The Macau Post Daily published an interview with the artists about their preceding performance “Season s/s” in May.
Inspiration comes within practice
Right before the interview, Hong, Fukushima and Ivan were jamming at the warehouse when Fukushima played the famous melody from Czech composer Dvořák’s New World Symphony on the guitar. Hong said that the group was improvising new ideas when they were in the practice sessions, not just “rehearsing” the music.
“Due to the limited time-frame for the last performance, I had composed all the songs for ‘Season s/s’. For ‘Season f/w – Wander with the Wind’, we planned to have more flexibility, and flow with inspiration based on Lok’s story and coming from Fan’s visuals painted on stage,” Hong said.
Lok added that the artists, coming from three distinct backgrounds, were constantly engaging with each other and evolving together. “There is no main character for the show: every party is adapting to how others present their art. My stories, inspired by daily life in Macau as well as international events, are also tweaked all the time to fit in their music and visuals, and vice versa. The three-way creativity produces additional innovation and dynamics,” Lok said.
Performance choices
Hong said that the performance will be held at the bookshop Bookand. “The owner of Bookand already had it in mind to make it a performing space when they designed the shop. Thus, it is convenient for us to set up the space for an event. The atmosphere of a bookshop is also very thematic for our upcoming performance – we wanted the audience to feel like they are listening to us narrating stories,” Hong added.
Fan said that he will be utilising several tools to present the visuals on Saturday, including black and white ink painting, paper cutting and rubbings. “Compared to the rippling effect of watercolour, ink painting conveys simple and direct messages, producing an immediate sharp contrast on paper. Some of the stories, I think, are best interpreted in this form, when the meaning is precise. For others, I choose alternative art forms, based on what I hear and feel at the moment of the performance,” Fan said.
According to the artists, “Season s/s” had a spring and summer theme, while “Season f/w – Wander with the Wind” is themed in the autumm and winter seasons and so are the stories written by Lok. Fan and Lok added that the programme has many ups and downs in the mood with unexpected twists, so they hope that they can create multiple layers of sensation to the audience.
The artists will also be holding a free exhibition At Light Art Gallery on Pátio do Padre Narciso early next year, featuring Fan’s visual arts and the trio’s music there. Lok noted that they have built great chemistry throughout their year-long collaboration, and hope to continue the wonderful and treasurable relationship in the future.
The group’s live performance will be held at Bookand on Rua de Inácio Baptista, in Praia do Manduco (Ha Van) this Saturday. The first session will start at 6 p.m. while the second session will begin at 9 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit MyLand Culture on FaceBook or Instagram. The ticket price is 230 patacas, with a drink included.
Pal Lok (From left to right), Fan Sai Hong, Hong Iat U, Akitsugu Fukushima and Ivan Wing pose at their practice room in Areia Preta district last week.
Photo: Willam Chan
Photos provided by MyLand Culture
