East Kowloon Cultural Centre | Song From Far Away || Far Away From Song

Description

A single ticket allows one to pass through the realms of life and death

As the condolence letters of a surviving brother transform into music, 

his late brother responds through dance. 

At the threshold of reunion, they say farewell, their souls healed.

Ivanhoe Chun-ho LAM, artist-in-residence at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, continues to deepen his exploration of Simon Stephens' play Song From Far Away following the work-in-progress presentation So Far, So.... Together with his creative team, he blends monologues, body movement, live choral singing, beatboxing, electronic music, real-time video, and multimedia installations, transforming these disciplines into an artistic journey that transcends life and death, offering the audience an experience that is both intimate and communal. Constructed over 365 days and building on the work in progress, a complete version of two interdependent performances — Song From Far Away and Far Away From Song — will be held in two venues in EKCC: The Turns and The Lab. Both venues are simultaneously connected but distant, where time and space overlap and occur together. A single ticket invites one to pass through the realms of life and death.

Two venues, two forms of participation:

Song from FAR Away consists of seven letters from an elder brother to his deceased younger brother, allowing for both a commemoration of the past and a confrontation with oneself. Within immersive settings such as hotels, airports, and trains, we become transient figures within the narrative, witnessing the recording of a contemporary song of spiritual communication and experiencing the protagonist's written correspondence. The sounds of objects transform into laments, the interpretation of words becomes a form of prayer, while roving cameras capture each element as in a live-streamed funeral; all of this is simultaneously transmitted to another realm through modern technology.

FAR Away From Song is an imagining of a response the deceased might have given to his surviving brother. It is a response sent from an intermediate state where the soul transcends the physical burden of the body. At the end of this journey of farewell, we experience a final reunion. Here, in this sanctuary of the mind, we partake in this ritual from a perspective of detachment, allowing our bodies to rest while observing the act of parting. Through the channel of meditation, we arrive at a moment of healing in the present.

Ivanhoe Lam is the Artist-in-Residence of East Kowloon Cultural Centre

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary 

The content of this programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department