CONTAIN 2.0
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This collaboration of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble (Hong Kong) and Ensemble Resonanz (Hamburg, Germany), travels along the questions of containing, of shipping and shifting cultural identities. Featuring new compositions of Berlin-based collaborative composer Simon James Phillips; installations, algorithmic programming and a new composition by Hong Kong-based composer/artist Samson Young, CONTAIN opens a space of in-betweenness. With streaming sounds, videos and interview fragments, deep darkness and lights, musicians and audience float through states of disorientation. The project explores different sensations of getting lost, and new ways of coming together in the in-between. This is water, a no man’s land. The practice-based research project is the result of an intensive workshop period in Hong Kong in 2019, interviews with musicians, philosophers and curators conducted by project artistic director Folkert Uhde and dramatic advisor Elisa Erkelenz. CONTAIN workshop 2.0 - as an in progress production - further builds upon the music, installations and conversations from the past three years, looking ahead towards a larger-scale full production.
12 musicians of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble are featured in an open rehearsal and performance of new collaborative compositions directed by Simon James Phillips.
Simon James Phillips is an Australian composer and musician living in Berlin. Diversity and collaboration are the most noticeable qualities of his work. Musically, he defies most existing labels and is at home in the contexts of classical, new music, experimental, jazz, electronic music. This cross-fertilisation informs his many creative and performative approaches resulting in unique concerts and presentations. He collaborates with dance, theatre, art/installation, and film. He creates immersive work that explores the perception of time and place through sound by building expansive sonic atmospheres.
Simon takes particular care to tailor his compositions and performances to each individual context. He often incorporates a method of collaborative composition that invites musicians to contribute creatively and always seeks to understand and utilise the site specific qualities available for each project. Read more
Often easy, sometimes impossible is one movement from a suite of (work-in-progress) solo viola compositions, written for my friend William Lane. The suite explores notions of listening to / playing music through “a container”. Often easy, sometimes impossible is a composition for one audience. The duration is approximately 20 minutes. [Samson Young]
Multi-disciplinary artist Samson Young works in sound, performance, video, and installation. He was Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s artist associate in 2008 - 2009, and graduated with a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Princeton University in 2013. In 2017, he represented Hong Kong at the 57th Venice Biennale. Other solo projects include the De Appel, Amsterdam; Kunsthalle Düsseldorf; Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh; SMART Museum, Chicago; Centre for Contemporary Chinese Art in Manchester; M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Ryosoku-in at Kenninji Temple, Kyoto; and Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne, among others. Selected group exhibitions include Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Gropius Bau, Berlin; Performa 19, New York; Biennale of Sydney; Shanghai Biennale; National Museum of Art, Osaka; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; Ars Electronica, Linz; and documenta 14: documenta radio, among others. In 2020, he was awarded the inaugural Uli Sigg Prize... Read more
2021 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
TALKS & ROUNDTABLE
ARTIST TALK: SIMON JAMES PHILLIPS
Thur 9 Sept, 9 -10pm
McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre
FREE
Speaker: Simon James Phillips
Moderator: Simon Hui
The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the Caravanserais - CONTAIN only, but does not otherwise take part in it. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the materials/activities (or by members of the GRANTEE’s team) are those of the organisers of Caravanserais - CONTAIN only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Programme Partner:
with the support of the International Coproduction Fund of the Goethe-Institut