In Japanese, the word “Hakanai” means ‘impermanent, fragile, evanescent, transitory, and fleeting’, somewhere between dream and reality. Digital art directors Claire Bardainne and  Adrien Mondot have undertaken to illustrate this ancient Japanese concept in their contemporary dance choreography, in which they combine live animation based on physical movements an original music score, and a solo dancer.

A three-dimensional “cube”made of a transparent screen takes centre stage, within which dancer Akiko Kajihara gently sways and twists her body. Motion-activated white lights, forming letters, symbols, grids and other shapes appear on the darkened box as she moves, creating a dream-like and ethereal spectacle, part dance and part art-installation.

The serene dancer will “move” the light patterns, pulling aside a grid into curtain-like folds, and spinning it above her, or creating undulations in a matrix with her hands. 

Photo by Romain Etienne

 
Following the 40 minute performance, the audience will be permitted to enter the cube to experiment themselves with the digital lights. 

 

You can watch a short trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1913906392216989/permalink/1916955028578792/

Hakanai plays at Loft 29, on Church Street, on Friday August 18th at 8,30pm, and on Saturday 19th at 3pm and at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced at RM 100 and can be obtained from the George Town festival office on Armenian Street, or from here: https://airasiaredtix.com/hakanai