After an adventure to India in 2013, the short get-away brought Wenchung Lin back to the essence of dance, in which he simplified the conventional choreographic expressions to the minimum and transformed it into the exploration of the pure “body.” As the closure of the Small series, Small End is more like a beginning of a next page rather than an “end.”
The ultimate concept of “small” leaves nothing, not even any visible appearance, but a crystal clear idea. Therefore, Wenchung Lin visualizes his conceptual practice in the work by highlighting how the performer exercises one’s will to push skeletons to move forward instead of merely showing the muscle movement. The most essential part of bodies, breathes, and movements are presented on stage in front of audience as if it were trying to communicate with or even to defy the agitation of the modern society with its pure, solid, poised, and peaceful gesture. In its powerful statement, Small End writes down the last chapter of the Small series, revealing the minimalist essence of theatrical aesthetics which has been removed from any preexisting choreographic aesthetics, theories, schools, definitions, and assumptions. By returning to the origin, the instinctive reaction of performing and art-making challenges our understanding of “dance,” including the idea of “viewing” and “choreographing.”
The production team of Small End includes Wu Chi-Tsung (space), Chang Yung-Ta (sound), and Yang Yu-The (costume). They create a giant blackhole-like performing space, which is preceded by none, as a constrast to the surrealistic physicality expressed by dancers and the sense of lonesliess. Meanwhile, the minimalistic sound exphasizes the extreme silence, which echoes the fludity and the continuity of bodies. The minimum costume also brings the details of the bodies to our notice.
The minimalistic exploration of “divestiture” by superstar performing artists makes us to reexamine the definition of “body” and “dance.” As the closure of the Small series, Small End starts with the inner consciouness of body to question and to reflect the essence of life, juxtaposing the multiple gestures of “light” and “body” as they travel among various perceptions. In its pursuit of the simplist and the most minimalistic theatricality, Small End illuminates the living authenticity.
For Wenchung Lin, Small End is not a dance piece but an artwork based on body. In spite of the trend of interdisciplinary or technological art, Lin gathers the “dots” scattered around the space and physicalize them to approach the existence of human bodies in a space from the perspective of technological art. The physical purity thus becomes the feature of the work.
Small End was commissioned by Quanta Arts Foundation and premiered at National Experimental Theatre. It was selected as the TOP 15 finalists of the12th Taishin Arts Awards in 2013.
【ARTICLES】
Premiere Date: Oct 11, 2013
Performance Venue: National Theater/ Experimental Theater
Artistic Director: Wen-Chung Lin
Choreography: Wen-Chung Lin
Assistant creator: Ren-Zhong Lin
Site Designer: Chi-Tsung Wu
Lighting Designer: Tzu-Yen Huang
Costume Designer: Yu-The Yang
Graphic Designer: David Lai
Photographer: Min-Syuan Wang
Videographer: Kuan-Yu Chen
Dancers: Wen-Chung Lin, Ren-Zhong Lin, Yen-Chi Huang, Wei-Han Li, Ya-Ting Tsai
The ultimate concept of “small” leaves nothing, not even any visible appearance, but a crystal clear idea. Therefore, Wenchung Lin visualizes his conceptual practice in the work by highlighting how the performer exercises one’s will to push skeletons to move forward instead of merely showing the muscle movement. The most essential part of bodies, breathes, and movements are presented on stage in front of audience as if it were trying to communicate with or even to defy the agitation of the modern society with its pure, solid, poised, and peaceful gesture. In its powerful statement, Small End writes down the last chapter of the Small series, revealing the minimalist essence of theatrical aesthetics which has been removed from any preexisting choreographic aesthetics, theories, schools, definitions, and assumptions. By returning to the origin, the instinctive reaction of performing and art-making challenges our understanding of “dance,” including the idea of “viewing” and “choreographing.”
The production team of Small End includes Wu Chi-Tsung (space), Chang Yung-Ta (sound), and Yang Yu-The (costume). They create a giant blackhole-like performing space, which is preceded by none, as a constrast to the surrealistic physicality expressed by dancers and the sense of lonesliess. Meanwhile, the minimalistic sound exphasizes the extreme silence, which echoes the fludity and the continuity of bodies. The minimum costume also brings the details of the bodies to our notice.
The minimalistic exploration of “divestiture” by superstar performing artists makes us to reexamine the definition of “body” and “dance.” As the closure of the Small series, Small End starts with the inner consciouness of body to question and to reflect the essence of life, juxtaposing the multiple gestures of “light” and “body” as they travel among various perceptions. In its pursuit of the simplist and the most minimalistic theatricality, Small End illuminates the living authenticity.
For Wenchung Lin, Small End is not a dance piece but an artwork based on body. In spite of the trend of interdisciplinary or technological art, Lin gathers the “dots” scattered around the space and physicalize them to approach the existence of human bodies in a space from the perspective of technological art. The physical purity thus becomes the feature of the work.
Small End was commissioned by Quanta Arts Foundation and premiered at National Experimental Theatre. It was selected as the TOP 15 finalists of the12th Taishin Arts Awards in 2013.
【ARTICLES】
Premiere Date: Oct 11, 2013
Performance Venue: National Theater/ Experimental Theater
Artistic Director: Wen-Chung Lin
Choreography: Wen-Chung Lin
Assistant creator: Ren-Zhong Lin
Site Designer: Chi-Tsung Wu
Lighting Designer: Tzu-Yen Huang
Costume Designer: Yu-The Yang
Graphic Designer: David Lai
Photographer: Min-Syuan Wang
Videographer: Kuan-Yu Chen
Dancers: Wen-Chung Lin, Ren-Zhong Lin, Yen-Chi Huang, Wei-Han Li, Ya-Ting Tsai