projek limina by Seni Tiga Lab: Unit C

The human body is a vessel for experience and the metaphorical between-state of the direct connection of our body-mind relationship with the environment, where we constantly hover somewhere in-between.

Drawing inspiration from the concept of liminality, “projek limina” is an immersive and collaborative performance revolving around the exploration of the human mind, body and space. This project invites the audience to ponder the changing relationship between self-awareness, and the collective memories and experiences they face during the pandemic. Combining a real-time interactive technology and multi sensory feedback, this project allows the audience to participate through their interactions with the installation. Through the interactions, participants are able to contribute to the narrative within the themes of therapy, human feelings, emotions and expression. This project is an ongoing experiment on how humans can use their bodies as a storytelling device that binds their experience and environments through immersive installations, systems, objects and moments.

1st Movement (Opening Night)
The layover: a liminal state
11 Dec 2021 (Sat)

Like a traveller waiting in an airport for a connecting flight, you find yourself in a limbo state. Being neither here nor there, you start to ponder upon your past decisions which has led you here to this point. You know where you want to go with the next flight but is it really where you want to be? What if you are meant to be on another flight to a different situation? What if the next flight takes you to a place where it turns out to be not what you have expected it to be? Why are you here? Where are you going? Who are you?

2nd Movement
Cycle of emotions, grief - saudade
15 Dec 2021 (Wed)

Grief – Flow my tears (Dowland)
Flow my tears, fall from your springs,
exiled forever let me mourn.
Where night’s black bird her sad infamy sings,
there, let me live forlorn.

Saudade – La Cathedral - Preludio Saudade (Barrios)
Battered by the challenges in life comprising among others financial struggles, ailing health and marital problem, and potentially triggered a significant event of lost, his heart was torn open by grief, and nostalgia of the bygone times when things are better, thus come this personal statement of bereavement and sorrow – a saudade of his own.

3rd Movement
Cycle of emotions, prayerful - reverence
16 Dec 2021 (Thu)

Prayerful – La Cathedral – Andante Religioso (Barrios)
During Barrios’s stay in Montevideo Uruguay, he hears the tolling bells of the Cathedral of San Jose. Upon entering the cathedral, he hears the organist playing the music of Bach. The time, space and sound that created this spiritual calmness, became the inspiration of this composition, a contemplative prayer in the process of his own spiritual healing.

Reverence – In the calmness, a contemplative recognition of one’s own past wrongs, repenting and hoping for spiritual salvation.

4th Movement
Cycle of emotions, solemn - happy
17 Dec 2021 (Fri)

Solemne – La Cathedral – Allegro Solemne (Barrios)
Leaving the calm and spiritual atmosphere of the Cathedral of San Jose, Barrios exits the Cathedral, back into the busy street of Montevideo, continue his journey in life with dignity and sincerity.

Happy – Bourrée, BWV 1009 (Bach)
After going through this cycle of emotion, we wish all to be able to heal and find happiness, here’s a Bourree, a 16th century dance form of French origin, often dance to music that is happy and gay in gatherings. A jolly good time! Baroque style.

5th Movement (Closing Night)
The grey zone: as in-between space
18 Dec 2021 (Sat)

You have figured it out. You think you know who you are. But do you really know that person staring back at you in the mirror? You are not so sure anymore. You reflection wears your skin but sometimes you barely recognise that person underneath that shell. Sometimes it’s clear. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s black. Sometimes it’s white. But most of the time, it’s in different shades of grey. This is when you start to realise that maybe there is no black or white. Maybe grey is what you should be. The answer is staring back at you. How are you?

This is a self expression performance by a dancer and 3 musicians on being in a grey zone, a non-conclusive statement of “projek limina”.

Photo by Amirul Rahman, courtesy of Seni Tiga

Photo courtesy of Seni Tiga

Image courtesy of Seni Tiga

projek limina
Date: 12-18 Dec 2021
Venue: KongsiKL

Concept
Seni Tiga Lab: Unit C

Visual
Set Curators: Hui Sim Chan, Alisson Chiew, Alvin Seah
Set Designer: Unit C
Set Builder: Maroon Art Design
Creative Technologies: Khayhen Sarveswarah

Movement
Choreographers: Jimmy Chong, Lena Lim, Scott Woo
Movement Artists: Unit C

Sound
Composer: Jimmy Chong, Alvin Seah, Tai You Yeoh
Sound Artists: Jimmy Chong, Alvin Seah, VerSeS, Tai You Yeoh

Production Team
Mentor: Jimmy Chong
Art Director: Alvin Seah
Creative Director: Hui Sim Chan
Production Manager: Alisson Chiew
Marketing Team: Alisson Chiew, Amber Goh, Lena Lim, Jia Yen Low
Graphic & Visual Designers: Hui Sim Chan, Alisson Chiew, Amber Goh, Alvin Seah
Web Designers: Hui Sim Chan, Amber Goh
Social Media Executive: Alisson Chiew, Amber Goh
Event Managers: Alisson Chiew, Lena Lim, Jia Yen Low, Scott Woo
Documentation Team: CK Chan, Hui Sim Chan, Alisson Chiew, Ze Hui Ding, Thian Shaun Tan
Video Editors: Alisson Chiew, Amber Goh, Jia Yen Low, Alvin Seah
Special Thanks: Eng Heng Tan

Seni Tiga Lab Team
Producer: Loke Soh Kim
Assistant Producers: Low Pey Sien, Mah Jun Yi
Coordinator: Hani Amira Zaini
KongsiKL Team: Hani Amira, Jeremy Tang, Liew Chee Heai, Low Pey Sien, Mah Jun Yi

Presented by: KongsiKL
Produced by: Kongsi Petak
Supported by: EXSIM Group, Kakikongsi, CENDANA, Krishen Jit Fund, BOH
Special Thanks: Kakiseni, FabU Cafe