A virtual reality experience and art installation by Ix Wong Thien-pau and Tsang Tsui-shan
12 to 21 Apr 2024
Objectifs Chapel Gallery
Please note that the exhibition and VR experience is Restricted 18 (R18).
Opening: Fri 12 Apr 2024, 6pm – 9pm
Chroma 11 Virtual Reality (VR) Experience
13, 14, 19, 20 April, various times. (Please register here)
Free admission
The Making of Chroma 11: A talk with Tsang Tsui-shan, Jeremy Chua, Teresa Kwong, Kattie Fan and Jason Lam
(Please register here)
Fri 12 Apr, 7.30pm – 9pm
Chapel Gallery, Objectifs
Free admission
Join us for an artist talk with the team from Chroma 11 and film producer Jeremy Chua, as they discuss about the conceptualisation of Ward 11, and how the extension of this dance documentary film evolved into a film, virtual reality and installation work that is Chroma 11.
[Online] The Art of Life: Artist Talk with Ix Wong, Nirmala Seshadri and Dapheny Chen
(Please register here)
Wed 17 Apr, 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Held via Zoom
As partners in life and art, dancers Ix Wong and Aaron Khek’s relationship spanned over 20 years, until Aaron’s passing in 2019. Together with dance artists Nirmala Seshadri and Dapheny Chen, this talk will focus on the significance of Ix and Aaron’s partnership, how their artistic practice celebrated life while negotiating issues such as sexuality, health and authority, and how digital media can help extend the spirit of their work.
How does one deal with the grief and loss? How can we revisit our relationships with loved ones who have passed on?
Chroma 11 combines film, installation, dance and virtual reality to tell the true story of dancers Ix Wong Thien-pau (Malaysia) and Aaron Khek Ah Hock (Singapore), who were partners in life and art for over 20 years. Their time together sadly came to an end as Khek’s health took a downturn when he contracted HIV, and later cancer. Khek passed away at the start of 2019.
Dance was an integral part of how they bonded and expressed themselves. Through virtual reality, director Tsang Tsui-shan explores the possibility of a final dance between Wong and Khek. In a space that straddles reality and imagination, the audience is invited to an experience imbued with longing, grief and love.
This project is an extension of Ward 11, a dance documentary film by Tseng developed from 2017 to 2019 under “Creative Meeting Point on Screendance – Hong Kong x Singapore”, which is organised by West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA), City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) and Singapore organization Cinemovement. The film won the Silver Award of 25th ifva Awards, Open Category in 2020.
Curated by Kattie Fan and Objectifs
Organised by Objectifs
Production company: River Vision Productions
Developed thanks to: 77th Venice International Film Festival, Biennale College Cinema (Virtual Reality Project category). Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, West Kowloon,
Partner: Serial Co.
Programme Partner: Dance Nucleus
Supported by: Hong Kong Arts Development Council
About Tsang Tsui-shan
Tsang Tsui-shan was awarded the Best New Director of the 31st Hong Kong Film Award 2012. Her debut film Lovers On the Road (2008) won the Best Drama Award of the 8th South Taiwan Film Festival. Her second feature Big Blue Lake (2012) won the Jury Special Award of the Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival and the Asian New Talent Jury Prix of the Shanghai International Film Festival. Other films include the French-Hong Kong co-production documentary Flowing Stories (2014), feature film Scent (2014) and The Lady Improper (2019).
About Ix Wong
Ix Wong Thien-pau was born in 1974 in Sabah, Malaysia. He graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1998, and danced professionally with the City Contemporary Dance Company (HK) from 1998 to 2000. He was the rehearsal director and dancer with Arts Fission Company (SG) from 2000 to 2002.
Wong founded Ah Hock & Peng Yu with his partner Aaron Kheh Ah-hock, where they produced and choreographed many works together. In 2016, Wong and Khek started L3 – Lalu Lalang Lab together with artists Nirmala Seshadri and Leslie Tan. It was a multi-disciplinary platform to examine ideas of creative existence that welcomed collaborations with like-minded artists.