Between the fragility of human nature and the persistence of virtual worlds
A cardboard box is not just a container – it is a metaphor that can hold objects and memories, human desires, and an ever-changing reality. In an age when the real and virtual worlds continue to intertwine, our homes are no longer built of bricks and mortar, but take the form of temporary “vessels”. It could be a cardboard box, a pixelated space on a screen, or even a game we play without realising that it has imperceptibly become our home.
The cardboard box is one of the main characters in the play “Fragile! Another Human Inside”, conceived and produced by GayBird.
GayBird, one of Asia’s most important multimedia artists, combining sound, visual and performance art, invites the Wrocław audience to participate in another interdisciplinary site-specific project. Viewers, wandering through specially constructed performance spaces, will be able to observe the reality created by the artist. Its final form will combine several elements: installation, moving images and sound, complemented by live musical performances. The focus will be on cardboard boxes. Visually reminiscent of bricks—the basic building material of the Wrocław Brewery space—they will create a tension between fragility and durability.
GayBird is a composer and an extremely versatile interdisciplinary artist. He admits that his interest in music began with his fascination for the work of the Hong Kong duo Ming Pair, with whom he later collaborated. “Thanks to them, I realised that music could be created by one person using electronic instruments,” he says. Another important artist in his life was the Greek composer Vangelis, whose album “China” became an extraordinary source of inspiration for GayBird. “On this album, he managed to faithfully imitate the sounds of acoustic instruments using electronics. The combination with real instruments changed my perception of electronic music.”
One of the most amazing artistic experiences he remembers is the 2019 project “Emergency Kit & Wishing Pool”, which took place entirely in a swimming pool. It was a site-specific performance and the swimming pool proved to be one of the most challenging spaces he had ever worked in. However, GayBird also had the opportunity to create many water-related elements, allowing him to achieve completely new visual effects. The project was also challenging as it required the combination of advanced technology and water.
About the Theatre & the Director:
Leung Kei-Cheuk, known as GayBird, began his impressive career in 1996. Since then, as a music director, composer and producer, he has created hundreds of musical works, concerts and theatre performances. Many of these have been recognised with nominations and awards from Asia’s most important music organisations, including the Asian Composers League Young Composers Awards, CASH Golden Sail Music Awards, Hong Kong Film Awards, Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and Chinese Music Media Awards. Recently, GayBird was named Artist of the Year in the media arts category at the 17th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.
Machine & Art NOW Ltd. is an interdisciplinary art group founded by GayBird in 2020. The group aims to gather talented designers, artists, and researchers who are interested in arts and technology, foster the research and development of collaborations between art and technology through the creation of new artistic works, and facilitate and stimulate the incorporation of technology in the cultural industry.
