In a workshop, forum, and performance series, UCCA invites artists, directors, and academics to explore the relationship between performance art and theater—traditionally viewed as separate art forms. However, with the advent of postmodernism, the boundaries between them have blurred: contemporary performance art increasingly incorporates narrative elements, while contemporary theater places greater emphasis on visuality and the body.
For the first part of the series, Chinese-German theater director Cao Kefei and performance artist Li Xinmo will explore the interplay between theater, performance, and curation. They will simultaneously moderate and fluidly move between two workshops at UCCA. In each workshop, performance artists, dancers, and musicians will interpret several key concepts using their bodies, vision, and hearing, testing the boundaries of language and meaning. The series will conclude with a performance consisting of several separate yet interactive pieces, taking place in various spaces within the Center.
