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Hong Kong Arts Festival is all set to deliver a high-voltage 50th anniversary program where the marriage of art and tech will be much in evidence. Rebecca Lo plugs in to find out more.
Hong Kong Arts Festival 50th edition kicks off in February, and all hands are on deck to ensure that everyone invested in the milestone will be rewarded. A series of online and in-person performances has been lined up to cope with a third year of pandemic-induced restrictions.
Learning from the two previous editions of disrupted live shows, it is no surprise that technology plays a big role in HKAF's roster. Whether through the immersive opera Laila, the interactive piano recital Nirvana or the conceit of uploading audiences into the theater for To Be a Machine, this year's artists are exploring technology's infinite ways of reaching people.
"Virtual reality has always been a part of our festival as a way to tell stories and engage audiences, but it was one strain of what we do," says Tisa Ho Kar-kuan, HKAF's executive director. "Laila is a new focus for us that aligns and supports art tech."
