Night Bloom is an immersive audio-visual artwork that highlights the resilience of the global deaf community through the metaphor of biodiversity.
While storms and wilting flowers reflect the systematic discrimination and erasure faced by deaf people around the world, abundant landscapes filled with birds and insects offer a symbol of hope and future growth for all.
A looped film features three dancers, whose movements incorporate signs drawn from Visual Vernacular and traditional Chinese (CSL) sign languages. Signs drawn from nature are commonplace across international sign languages. The roots shooting from the hands of dancers represent the mycorrhizal networks through which plants and fungi communicate across species.
This work shares the power of embodied forms of communication, across difference, and advocates for an inclusive climate transition.
BSL interpretation for this artwork
Night Bloom Shanghai: A collaboration with Suhe Haus contemporary gallery.
Coming Soon
Commissioned by Unlimited in partnership with British Council.
Credits:
Artistic Direction: Cathy Mager
Choreography and performance: Alice Hu, An Di, Xianhe Wang
Video Design Artwork and Editing: Ben Glover
Filming: Bob Wang, Sam Zheng, Jack Chi
Illustration: Lifeng He, Music: Ngaio Anyia, mixing by James Ongley
Production: Cat Roberts
Sign Language Interpreters: Blade Tang, Freya McLuckie, Jayme Lawman