Avant-garde production integrates art forms
Choreographer Shen Wei's avant-garde multimedia production "Integrate" premiered in Shanghai at the West Bund Dome as part of the Shanghai International Arts Festival's new Artra arm.
Shen describes "Integrate" as a "total art" type, as it integrates varied art forms of painting, photography, installation, sound, video and dance.
It's the first time Shanghai's art followers have access to the New York-based artist's creations presented on a relatively big scale.
The one-hour show begins with an exhibition of Shen's painting, photography and installation creations arranged in the shape of a big circle. The second part is a video of dancers practicing action arts in the streets of Shanghai and New York.
A video of dancers practicing action arts in the streets of Shanghai and New York
When the screens are raised, 32 dancers are seen spread across a 900-square-meter chessboard-style stage in the center of the venue. In the third part of the show, dancers perform right in front of the audience while staining themselves with paintings.
The dancers are mainly from south China's Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the Shanghai-based Xiexin Dance Theater and the variety show "Dance Storm."
The dances are quite abstract, just like other parts of the show. Spectators are not required to "understand" the performance, but set free their senses and enjoy the experience, bearing in mind the motto that "everything is connected."
Spectators are not required to "understand" the performance, but set free their senses and enjoy the experience.
Spectators can watch the dancers from close range in the third part of the show.
Shen explained in earlier interviews that he hopes to merge China's ancient dome cosmology into the creation, as the West Bund Dome has a dome and square foundation structure.
"Integrate" runs through Sunday, and each of the 10 shows is unique because none of the dances are duplicated.
The Shanghai International Arts Festival's Artra arm promotes avant-garde and crossover artistic creations to attract young followers.
