Review by William Chan
The local art organisation T Theatre hosted a seminar art project, “Next Step 2024,” on Sunday in its theatre in Nape, featuring presentations by five local and mainland artists. They spoke about their initial developmental outcomes through the combination of art performances and presentations, shedding light on the ideas behind their behind-the-scenes processes and explorations in practice.
In this article, the focus will mainly be on local artist Lao Pui Lon and Guangzhou-based Wu Hui. In an interview conducted last February*, they presented a dance performance around the Guia Hill area, exploring the interdependent, invasive, and parasitical nature of plants, along with their interactions with one another and the environment through dance.
Wu, a dancer and choreographer, during Sunday’s talk gave insights into her inspiration for last year’s performance. Her name, Hui (卉), meaning “plant” or “herb,” was given to her by her grandmother due to her deep affection for plants. Since childhood, she has been introduced to a wide array of plants by her family.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Wu found herself spending most of her time at home, developing a keen interest in plants during this period. Eager to understand how plants interact with the world, she demonstrated the process of transferring a plant into a larger pot to the audience during the performance, highlighting the essential steps for a healthy transition and showcasing her care and knowledge of plants.
Following this, Wu placed a plant beside her and stood opposite it, immersing herself in the perspective of the plant by remaining still for five minutes, mimicking how a plant perceives the world with minimal movements - an attempt to view the world through a plant’s lens.
Wu has dedicated years to her ongoing research project, “Expressive Sight,” where she challenges the human-centric worldview and explores an alternative path through dance, engaging with social and ecological themes. She emphasises that regardless of how growth manifests itself, it is a remarkable process, representing a decentred, non-subjective “self.” She noted that her upcoming performance will be in December.
Queerness in performance
Immersed in creation and collaboration across various disciplines, Lao said in his presentation that his past works on queerness have explored themes positively and boldly. In one instance, he embodied a homosexual teacher delivering flamboyant talks on race and sex to the audience (portrayed as students), and in another, he enacted a drag queen persona. Additionally, he parodied Miss Macau, satirising Macau’s tourism strategy that indiscriminately welcomes visitors.
Lao emphasised that his aim is to challenge the power dynamics in performances and perceptions of queerness. By engaging the audience in a reciprocal gaze, he alters the traditional performance setup. Many of his performances in his career are queer-orientated, experimenting with different scenarios to redefine the role of queerness.
Reflecting on feedback questioning the idea of queerness as fragile and vulnerable rather than strong and positive, Lao revealed that in his upcoming performance, “KIWI,” scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, he intends to treat queerness as a transformative force, akin to mould—initially subtle but capable of profoundly reshaping its surroundings.
Both Lao and Wu are contemporary artists striving to deconstruct traditional stage performances and introduce innovative elements based on their unique experiences and research. Wu aims to shift the anthropocentric view of performances by exploring the world from a plant’s perspective and considering how this perspective can be integrated with the human body.
Lao, on the other hand, continually situates queerness in diverse contexts, challenging norms and exploring its playful and boundary-pushing potential in various settings beyond traditional norms.
Contemporary art forms demand additional context to help audiences understand the nuances of the work, thereby fostering a deeper appreciation of the evolving world, especially in the face of outdated educational systems and constantly changing realities. Seminars like these play a crucial role in the local art scene’s development.
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https://www.macaupostdaily.com/news/16905
Artist Guo Rui hosts “Next Step 2024”, introducing other artists’ projects to the audience. – Photos provided by Weng Kei
Local artist Lao Pui Lon performs during Sunday’s presentation at T Theatre in Nape.
Guangzhou-based artist Wu Hui mimics a plant at T Theatre.
