Phygital D: Hiroaki Umeda – indivisible substance

The complete version of the long-awaited new production, presented in an exciting format that combines live performance and a virtual stage

16-18.9.2022

Japanese avant-garde artist Hiroaki Umeda presents the full-length production of indivisible substance. Following two online showings as a work-in-progress, the final iteration of the performance – three years in the making – is finally coming to Freespace as a live in-person experience.

A career-defining experimental work by Umeda, indivisible substance is designed to transcend formats. It can be viewed as a stage performance, an online programme or even a VR experience, and through this versatility it challenges the modality and nature of dance. For the viewers, watching a performance in a theatre and on a computer screen are two completely distinct experiences. By continuously identifying and distilling these differences, Umeda seeks to explore the various channels and platforms of communication between him and his audience.

Based on this thought, Umeda combines digital technology, capturing real-time 3D data of the dancer by Kinect camera, as well as various micro and macro data from point cloud data in the making of indivisible substance, with the goal of weaving the entire space into the choreography. In the digital space, the boundaries between abstract, digitised components disappear – the conventional notions of shape, distance and authenticity no longer apply here, and only ‘movement’ is left to create a sense of space. This space of movement exists neither in a theatre nor on a screen, but in the minds of the audience.

Artistic Team:
Direction, Choreography: Hiroaki Umeda
Performers: Candy Hung Lai-kwan, Lo King-san, Carmen Yu Hau-yi