Chunky Move: Activators 8

Wednesday 9 March 2022, 7:30–8:10pm

Activators 8: Musica Ricercata 2022 by Shian Law, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne. Created by: Shian Law. Performed by: Shian Law and Victoria Chiu. Producer: Kristina Arnott. Technical Team: Blair Hart and Siobhain Geaney. Presented by Chunky Move and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Photograph: James Wright (NON Studio)

Activators 8
Musica Ricercata by Shian Law

Created by: Shian Law
Performed by: Shian Law and Victoria Chiu
Producer: Kristina Arnott
Technical Team: Blair Hart and Siobhain Geaney

ACCA/Chunky Move, North Forecourt,
111 Sturt Street, Southbank VIC 3006

9 March 2022
7:30–8:10pm
Free

‘The world set an empty stage, but there was no occasion for it.’


During months of lockdown, Shian Law recorded himself dancing all over the city. He found empty stages everywhere he looked—under the Flemington bridge, in carparks on the rooftops of high-rise buildings, at the entrance of a five-star hotel, in the compound of an abandoned factory—and shared his recordings on social media.

For one evening only, Chunky Move brings Shian Law’s provocative exploration of public space to the ACCA forecourt as part of Who’s Afraid of Public Space?. Accompanied by esteemed choreographer and dancer Victoria Chiu and a baby grand piano, Law investigates dance as a necessity for both the soul and the body and the resilience and creativity of artists to find a stage when the world is at a standstill.

“Dance is one of the ways for me to be in the world. During the months of hard lock-down, most of us weren’t left with many of these outlets. But I had myself, a world, a stage, and the history of dancing in my body. And to my soul’s consolation, I (re)discovered beauty in the delight one can have from a dance. That delight is my offering to you. And I hope you can find beauty in it.” – Shian Law

Activators is Chunky Move’s commissioning program for small scale experimental new work with an open-ended approach to the format and platform for presentation. Chunky Move commission multiple works annually and the program is curated by invitation only. Activators is grounded in choreographic approaches to site, space, time and material with the body at the centre of investigation. The program acknowledges expanded practice in art making as an aspect informing contemporary dance and Activators commissioned artists play a role in shaping and influencing contemporary and future dance practice. Previous works in the program have explored digital screen-based practice and animation, hybrid performance lecture contexts, gallery formats and live streamed events. Chunky Move’s Activators 8 is a series of solos and duets evolving across the day in public space.

Access:

Wheelchair accessible bathrooms located inside the ACCA building. There are two accessible car parking spaces for people or artists on Sturt Street, right outside the ACCA entrance. Please contact ACCA if you have any further queries about access and this event 03 9697 9999 or info@acca.melbourne

Cultural partner: