Blob—it serves as the center piece and clearest indicator of our absurdist narrative. Just as the domestic scene of a table and a chair are parodied by people in table and chair costumes. The blob takes it to the extreme and mixes the sanctity of human flesh with the cold and unfeeling space. Blurring the line between human and nonhuman.

Email: jieminglan1@gmail.com

Event Introduction

Design Concept

Inspiration

The AAIS (Spatial Performance Design) program operated as a nexus for contemporary artists and intellectuals striving to align their unique identities with external perceptions and receptions. As a unified collective, they ventured into interdisciplinary collaborations, perpetually shaping and contextualizing their oeuvre. In a collaborative endeavor with Teatro Aberto in Lisbon, Portugal, the AAIS collective curated an event, 'New Graces,' which unfolded from May 29th to June 3rd. This festival served as an arena for scrutinizing the extent to which individuals remain faithful to their idiosyncratic traits and intimacies. The discourse was anchored by the Portuguese theatrical piece 'Three Women with Iron Mask' by Augustina Bessa Luis, which offered a comprehensive lens through which to explore the ontology of grace. The concept was not merely a subject of discussion but employed as a methodology to incite contemporary art forms. An array of workshops, seminars, and performances constituted the backbone of the event, elucidating complex facets of the theme. These discussions, while exploratory, were orchestrated with deliberate thoughtfulness. The festival culminated in a series of performances collectively named 'Moult,' staged over three evenings from June 1st to 3rd. Within this concluding act, the then- current AAIS cohort revealed four key productions: 'Metamorph,' 'Parding your Beggon,' 'SEEN,' and 'Partita.' These artistic works, both ensemble and solitary in nature, aimed to depict the nuanced affections and social kinesthetics that served as the ligaments of their collective and individual experiences.

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The performance 'Parding Your Beggon', staged at Teatro Aberto, Lisbon from May 29th to June 3rd, 2023, as part of the AAIS's June Event, delved into the complexities of human relationships and emotions. It presented an unvarnished look at intimate relationships, eschewing romanticized notions and instead portraying them as idiosyncratic and driven by a sense of lust and potential that often leads to hopeless situations and unwise decisions. The show, known for its abstract gestures and narrative, probed the essence of the ‘political’, ‘social’, and ‘cultural’ aspects in everyday life. It stood out for its use of a 'performative skin' to express simplistic yet absurdist gestures, accompanied by soundscapes and live orated verses, offering a unique perspective on the psychology of social groups and the concept of myth in personal experiences.

Parding Your Beggon

Costume Design

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The theatrical performance was an abstract, yet intricately crafted tapestry of verses, gestures, and behaviors, existing as an exploration of the membrane between reality and surrealism. A performative "skin" served as both surface and entity, anchoring a surreal tableau of domestic intimacy. The presentation engaged deeply with the fundamental elements of the political, social, and cultural landscapes, refracted through the prism of everyday human interactions. Distinct from grand narratives, each anecdote was introspective, culled from the social kinesthetics observed by the participating artists. A carefully choreographed scenography framed the performance, characterized by gestures that oscillated between the simplistic and the absurdist. This visual landscape was sonically complemented by a soundscape, which, while bordering on musical, remained an open-ended interpretation of the aural experience. Verses and poems lent a further layer of contextualization, delivered live to serve dual roles: at times mediating as dialogue between entities, and at others, providing narrative continuity. The entire endeavor was not merely an artistic expression but an experiential inquiry into the complexities and simplicities of human existence.

In collaboration with Atimanyu Vashishth, Aya El Saleh, Charon Hu, Farah Aly, Jingxuan Lai, Neha Bolla

Teatro Aberto, Lisboa, Portugal, 2023

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