Statement
"Lab of Asian Diaspora" is a project collective that was launched in 2023 following the nationwide artist labs organized by the Performing Arts Fund. The participating artists with Asian backgrounds come from various performative arts such as dance and new music. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed that the Asian identities we carry within us can make us highly susceptible to discrimination.
Initially, we thought that we had already accepted our Asian background. We have been working in an international context for several years and feel very close to mainstream society. However, during the pandemic, Asians suddenly became scapegoats. We became targets of anger and were reduced to the stereotypes that have been attributed to us since the beginning of colonialism. As the pandemic subsided, so did the tension, but the people around us asked in despair, "Was it really that bad? I can't believe it."
As a result, I began to delve into recent history to find a reason for my despair. As a person with an Asian background, I had previously shown too little interest in antidiscrimination, decolonization, or anti-patriarchy efforts. Many Asians or artists with Asian roots must struggle with similar feelings and problems on their own. Therefore, I believe it is always important for us to connect in new processes of cooperation.
I believe the most important thing for us is to consider people with Asian backgrounds as individuals. This is not originally ingrained in our culture. We tend to see ourselves as part of a whole and are accustomed to behaving accordingly to blend in. We prefer safety in numbers. We tend to accept inequality, and suffering is considered a virtue. We want to try to shed this ascribed self-image. In our performative practice, we pay attention to the needs of the individual while also striving to learn, exchange, and understand each other's differences.
We want to break the conventional production pathways of our artistic activities and establish a laboratory as an experimental meeting place for open-ended collaboration both on and off stage.
Nationwide Artist Labs 2023 titled "Writing beyond the Yester-morrow" Photo © Hang Su
Aktuelle projekte Beteiligte
Ma, Sabrina
The Hongkong born drummer Sabrina Ma (*1985) has been living in Berlin since 2007. She completed her studies in Karlsruhe and Ann Arbor, and her solo works have been supported by the Music Fund, the German Music Council, and the Goethe Institute, etc. The multi-award-winning musician performs in Europe, the USA, and Asia, collaborating with ensembles, directors, and choreographers such as MAM.manufaktur für aktuelle musik, El Perro Andaluz, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, andcompany&Co., Müller/Rinnert, Benjamin Van Bebber/Leo Hofmann, Sheena McCrandles, Trickster Orchestra, and Ensemble Resonanz. She can be experienced at festivals like MärzMusik, Donaueschingen Music Days, Warsaw Autumn, Shanghai New Music Week, and BAM! Festival for Music Theater.
Chen, Peyee
An omnivore when it comes to performing, soprano Peyee Chen enjoys singing Monteverdi with lute and bass viol as much as singing Bernhard Lang with electronics and electric bass. She is also interested in vocal and contact improvisation, DIY electronic instruments, and installation and performance art.
She has appeared as a soloist at the Philharmonie de Paris, Munich Biennale, Pierre Boulez Saal, Konzerthaus Berlin, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Lucerne Festival, Adelaide Festival, Spitalfields Festival, Big Ears Festival, Cadogan Hall, Hayward Gallery, GEMdays, Club Transmediale Festival, Louth Contemporary Music Festival, Rewire Festival, and Tête à Tête Opera Festival, premiering pieces written for her by composers such as Jürg Frey, Aureliano Cattaneo, and Ann Cleare, with ensembles such as Ensemble intercontemporain, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Klangforum Wien, Quatuor Bozzini, Ensemble Proton Bern, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, Gavin Bryars Ensemble, Goeyvaerts Trio, Crash Ensemble, Novoflot, and Nico and the Navigators.
Su, Dan
Dan Su (su dance110) work with sound and movement in the context of music, performance and art.