[Past Event] Ode to Being

At what moment do strokes compose a painting, pixels assemble a picture and cells make up a person?

Ode to Being 存在颂歌 is a contemporary dance work featuring installations, a palette of projections and colours and snippets of live music played from the traditional Chinese instrument, the Pipa.

You are invited to a ritualistic journey of an autobiographical, thoughts-provoking story by Jiawen (Wendy) Feng – a young Chinese diasporic artist, whose movement practice conjures improvisation, release-based contemporary, groovy things and Chinese Classical Dance.

Ode to Being is a hideaway for anyone to feel welcome and safe, to share a moment together, to be emotional, to think and reflect.

A propos de

Jiawen Feng (any/all) is a Naarm-based emerging dance artist, originally from Shanghai, China. Having graduated from BFA(Dance) at Victorian College of the Arts in 2022, Jiawen has a strong interest in multimedia performances et interactive technologies and has experience working with technologies.

Most recently they worked with Megan Beckwith pour Parallax, performed at the Castlemaine Fringe Festival. Choreographed and artistically directed by Beckwith, this was a 40-minute solo performance, integrating rigorous movement score, animation and 3D illusions.

Jiawen’s movement vocabulary fuses improvisation, release-based contemporary techniques and Chinese Classical Dance. In their practice, they endeavour to further incorporate their cultural identity and challenge the way art communicates with an audience.

Accessibilité

Industrial School is wheelchair accessible, although the flooring is rough. Gender diversity is welcome at the Convent, and patrons are welcome to use any restroom that matches their gender identity or expression. There are gender-neutral toilets available close to the Industrial School and gendered toilets available in other locations within the Convent precinct. View the Public Toilet Map to find a bathroom of your preference.