THRESHOLD (2023)
THRESHOLD FILMS
The films presented are small collections of conversations and discussions with the artists in this exhibition. Central to this work is the spirit of dialogue and intimacy that is so central to the joy of practice, creating art, and the sharing of ideas. - Words by James Nguyen
Filmed and Produced by James Nguyen Staging by James Nguyen and Victoria Pham Sound by Victoria Pham Installed by Liam Mulligan
PROGRAM
I am (2023)
I am is a spoken word piece exploring time, memory and reincarnation. I'm curious about the way stories are formed from the building blocks of sound, letter and sentence. I blend my dreams, family history, and cultural beliefs to understand the cyclical nature of life and language. - Words by Gloria Demillo
Rice Wash by Flora Wong (2022)
Rice Wash explores the sound of a violin's resonating body and the practice of "cleaning" the inside of a violin with rice, through the lens of a performer of Asian background redefining their relationship with an instrument strongly associated with Western classical music. The work involves the performer using chopsticks and grains of rice to activate the violin, with the instrument’s natural resonance enhanced through electronic effects. Audiences are invited to listen to “small” sounds and reflect on both the experience of Asian Australian performers of Western classical music and the act of removing accumulated dust from a musical instrument. Rice Wash is partly inspired by the ‘transnational-coming-of-age’ experience as described by Shzr Ee Tan (2021). “I cross my fingers that our sharing of mutual vulnerabilities, fears, hopes, care and boundaries (or horizons) of engagement will allow for mutual discoveries of varieties of the self, and of the imagined other(s).” Words by Flora Wong
Songbeing (2023)
Chloe Chung combines personal stories, poetry, and flute/dizi (traditional Chinese bamboo flutes) performance expressing the messy in-betweenness of space-time traveling and the various musical traditions she is influenced by. “Songbeing” is an interactive piece inviting audiences to explore their relationship moving between structured and unstructured time. - Words by Chloe Chung
The Labyrinth (2023)
Nicholas Ng with Jia-Wei Zhu, Chloe Chung and Flora Wong
The idea of movement through guided or regulated space has sparked the imagination of creative minds across various cultures time immemorial. From the classical Cretan labyrinth of the Minotaur and the gothic designs of Chartres Cathedral, to the elaborate Baroque garden maze in the Qianlong Emperor’s Forbidden City, this ‘Jungian archetype’ has taken various intriguing forms over the centuries and continues to be applied to modern day therapies of mindfulness and wellness.
Visually, when looking at a diagram of a labyrinth—be it an ancient form such as the 2000 year old Indian labyrinth recently uncovered in Gedimedu, or more contemporary impressions found in art galleries—we usually see a series of lines drawn out through space. How do we move through such space in a sonic way, and is it possible to travel with non-tangible fluidity through the labyrinth of the mind? Can the human mind, or perhaps the human body itself be imprinted with the memory of the complex passageways that mark what would otherwise be a giant and empty void?
In this cross-platform piece, we examine new ways of redefining the agehold concept of the labyrinth with a mix of modalities and participatory audience exercises that aim at shifting our ordinary consciousness of space, motion and breath to one of transcendence and heightened awareness. Listeners are encouraged to use this multisensory experience to search for “Ao”, an ancient Chinese concept of remoteness, which according to scholar Hui Zhou is “a space in remote depth provides a place for the mind and body to rest”. This part of the listening journey concludes with Nicholas joined by co-artists Jia-Wei Zhu (dance), Chloe Chung (dizi) and Flora Wong (violin). – Words by Nicholas Ng
Kats-Chernin, Elena. Empty Frame (2021) for zhonghu and electronics, arranged by Nicholas Ng
Ng, Nicholas. Looking for “Ao” (Remoteness) (2023) for hulusi
Ng, Nicholas. Fluid Imprints. (2023) for dizi, violin and percussion