Everyday Dialogues: Beyond Classics and Multi-arts Lectures

EVENT DESCRIPTION

In this series of five lectures, the classics will be re-read with a contemporary approach covering various genres of multi-arts, ranging from cultural theories, paintings, music, literary works, films as well as performative and visual arts, so as to discuss topics of current trends such as aesthetics, technology, futurism and gender by exploring the subtle correlation between classics and multi-arts. The lectures will also look into how the classics respond to the everyday in an intimate way.

In Cantonese

17 June (Fri)

Lecture 1: Aesthetics, Being and Adaptation

As an introduction to this lecture series, to explore the topic of “existence” in different art forms.

Texts covered

– Books: Italo Calvino (1991) Why Read the Classics? and Nietzsche, F. (1872) The Birth of Tragedy

– Film: Spike Jonze (2002) Adaptation

– Theatrical Production and Film: Edward Lam Dance Theatre (2020) 14 Variations on the Theme of Yi Yi

24 June (Fri)

Lecture 2: Re-reading Classics through Futurism

To discuss how the classics can be re-read through futurism in science fiction works.

Texts covered

– Books: Shelley (1818) Frankenstein, Byung-Chul Han (2017) Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power and Barthes (1980) Camera Lucida

– Multi-arts performance x film: 1927 (2018) Golem

– Film: Spike Jonze (2013) Her

6 July (Wed)

Lecture 3: Shakespeare and Beyond

To re-read “The Tempest” by Shakespeare through the works of different art forms.

Texts covered

– Book: Frantz Fanon (1952) White Masks, Black Skin

– Play: Aimé Césaire (1969) A Tempest

– Film: Julie Taymor (2010) The Tempest

– Short Film: Ata Wong of Théâtre de la Feuille (2021) The Tempest

13 July (Wed)

Lecture 4: Gender in Classics and Others

Selected paintings on Venus are cited as an introduction to discuss how gender is projected in art pieces.

Texts covered

– Book: Virginia Woolf (1925) Mrs. Dalloway

– Films: Stephen Daldry (2002) The Hours and Sylvia Chang (2004), 20,30,40

– Chamber Opera: Yi Wong, Daniel Lo & Olivia Yan (2021) Women Like Us

20 July (Wed)

Lecture 5: Madness and Everyday

Using a number of paintings on insanity as an introduction to discuss the expression of related mental status in different works.

Texts covered

– Books: Dostoevsky (1864) Notes from Underground and Foucault (1961) The History of Madness

– Dance Video: Terry Tsang (2020) Into The Choreo- / Photo- graphy Ep3

– Multimedia Project: Chi-yung Wong (2021) Exploring Arts & Minds

– Film: Jeffrey Lau (1995) Out of the Dark

More reference texts will be brought forward in the lectures.

The speaker reserves the right to change the programme content.

Each lecture will run for about 2 hours.