Art Festival celebrates 10 years, promoting rising artists
Ten stage performances by promising young artists will be presented during the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, as the event celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Rising Artists' Work (RAW) project.
RAW was introduced in 2012 as an initiative to encourage innovative work by young artists. Under the project, renowned artists on the festival's Art Council select proposed works for a commissioned list and then help young artists bring their creations to the stage.
Over the past decade, RAW served as the birthing ground for 78 creations by 92 young artists, with 27 of them making appearances on overseas stages in countries like the United States, Britain, Hungary, Romania, Norway, Australia, as well as China's Hong Kong and Taiwan.
This year, the project opened to global young artists for the first time, with a new visual arts category also added. The organizers received 313 applications from across the world. After rounds of selection, eight stage works and two visual art creations have been chosen for this year's commissioned list.
The eight stage works cover drama, opera, music and dance. Together with two specially commissioned works, they will be performed in designated theaters in Shanghai from October 20 to November 22.
"BI-AN 5.0" is a specially commissioned work by artists Qin Yi and Xu Zhibo.
Specially commissioned "BI-AN 5.0," conceived by artists Qin Yi and Xu Zhibo, promises a unique contemporary art experience. The dance "Hello, World" and the masked physical theater "Face 3.0" embark from explorations of everyday curiosity to the mental world of the elderly.
Musically, "Lingering Charm of Silk Road" blends traditional and modern elements, while "Tales of the Beginning of Time" delves into the musical codes of Chinese mythology.
An exhibition reflecting the accomplishments of the RAW project is set up at the Shanghai Theater Academy.
Dramatic pieces like "The Fade, The Blue," "Right but Left," and "Barren Land" focus on human relationships and existential reflections. The Yueju Opera video theater "Vision" pays tribute to Chinese author Lao She's novels.
The visual arts session features Wang Yiquan's "Untitled" and Zhou Songkai's "Unnamed Road."
An exhibition reflecting the accomplishments of the RAW project is also set up at the Shanghai Theater Academy, while related forums will also be organized.
