Residency: Dance Between the Lines

Xiao Ke Group—Shanghai
Recipient CC—Milan
Residency

Location: Marseille, France
Time: 14-23 April 2015

Now in France, preparing for the second phase of their performance a Thousand Silk Threads are performance artist Xiao Ke, visual, sound and performance artist Zi Han and set and costume designer Zhou Jie. The recipients recently received the chance to complete a residency abroad.

The residency stems from a previous project in China, initiated by Arthub and Value Retail—this is one stop on the performance’s 2015 international tour. The aesthetic of the production is inspired by iconic Chinese textiles and patterns, which allows the artists to connect various locations along the Silk Roads.

The performers’ works expand beyond the individual experience; Xiao Ke and Zi Han connect their personal lives with the city, pushing the performance onto the street—thus allowing them to formidably interact with the public.

This past year a Thousand Silk Threads premiered at YI OU LAI Suzhou Village. The performance was produced during a one-year collaboration between international media artists, choreographers and musicians, with art direction by Davide Quadrio, Zhou Jie and Ivan Maria Vele.

A Thousand Silk Threads merged dance, digital art, electronic and traditional Chinese music. The choreography and flash-mob series were conceived by performance artist and dancer Xiao Ke (China) in collaboration with choreographer Alizia Borsari (Italy).

With digital projections by Recipient Collective (Italy), creators of experiential art works that utilize interactive installations, and with contributions by n+n Corsino (France), the moving screens that composed the scenography featured a sequence of artists’ new media works.