Tri_K @ Kanazawa

###Postponed to 2012 due to injury of Imaizumi Koichi in a work accident ###

Tri_K

Concept and Performance: Dick Wong / Takao Kawaguchi / Imaizumi Koichi

27-28.08.2011

Theatre 21, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

Synopsis: Tri_K is a dialogue of the body, between two Japanese and one Chinese, of how a man as human being and the male gender, finds his place in the world. Based on the actual observation and exploration of what’s common and what’s not common among the three performers, and taking advantage of their different expertise, skills and knowledge, the team of Dick Wong, Takao Kawaguchi and Koichi Imaizumi will then make different approaches to the above theme to make a multi-dimensional collage of dance, text, drama and film.

Tri_K > Journal #2

7 Days In January

(for the programme note of Hong Kong Arts Festival 2010)

1) When a language becomes nothing more than melody, on a good day it sings like a song, on a bad day it is like having a flu and sitting in a noisy restaurant. In the midst of a discussion, someone turned around and spoke to me in Japanese as if I knew the language. I held my breath, listened and at one point I nod. I thought I understood – not exactly a good start in collaboration.
2) From my head to my mouth, my mind to my body….from what I wanted to say to what I said….from what I wanted to be to what I am…..from what I said to what you wanted to hear…can what lost in translation be ever found again? Probably not. But isn’t that one of the most interesting things between you and me? Lost in translation is a must.
3) Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor. Judy Ong, Agnes Chan, Auyeung Fei Fei. Momoe Yamaguchi, Sakurada Junko, Masako Mori. Takao Kawaguchi. Koichi Imaizumi, Dick Wong. Who is who?
4) Momentary silence in a conversation while resting at the lobby of Morishita Studio. Sound of food chewing versus cigarette sucking. Stomach gas versus heartbeats. In a few hours, on the green sofa across the room, someone would be snoring. Air waved, the cleaning lady in fur coat walked by in a time stretching speed. Sitting next to me, Takao stared at the air and had his eyes focused on an empty spot. Melancholy on his face, something I could resonate with years ago. Koichi was yet to arrive. The kimonos, the white wedding dress, the sailor school uniform, the dark suits and the body bags were all waiting. So was the deadline.
5) Differences we have, uncertain we remain but very soon united we must be. 15 minutes to 7pm, 23 hours and 24 days since I arrived, the work is about to greet the world. Tension is mounting, adrenalin rushing and hand sweating. When in doubt, make belief. Let’s make believe that out there we will shine and inspire.
6) Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge. Emotional discharge.

7) Leader or follower, choose one. Honesty or self-image, choose one. Love or respect, choose one. One against two. Three against the world. The journey of Tri_K goes on.

Tri_K > Journal #1

In autumn 2008, Dick Wong went to Japan to present Encounter@Tokyo. Takao Kawaguchi was his interpreter and Koichi Imaizumi was in the audience. After they met, it didn’t take long for them to agree upon doing something together. Three begets all things, as the Chinese saying goes, they were inspired by the number “3” and started to exchange emails between Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The title Tri_K is derived from the common alphabets in their names. To Dick Wong, it denotes a collective identification which becomes his point of departure in the collaboration. Similarities and differences. Individuality and collectivity. Norms and nonconformity. These are the issues that he wants to talk about in the performance.

To Takao Kawaguchi, Tri_K represents “trick”. It has a nuance of trap, danger, caution and is related to the question of truth or false. He also associates the word with game, tension, mischief, the number "3", issues of identity, interactions in a collaboration and manipulation of time, space and history.

As for Koichi, after hearing the title, he pondered a little bit and then mumbled: “I think it will work.”

To begin with, the three collaborators will take on different roles. Dick Wong is to initiate and propose. Koichi Imaizumi is to observe and document. Takao Kawaguchi is to comment and recompose. It is like when they first met - Wong presented his work, Takao was the interpreter and Koichi was in the audience.

An initiator, an observer and a commentator, the juxtaposition resonates with the archetypical relationship among the director, the audience and the critics in a performance. Only that the three collaborators will be the creator as well, with the objective of staging a performance which is as much about the collaboration itself as it is about the world at large.

Tri_K > Tokyo / Kobe / Hong Kong / Lisbon

Tri_K is a conversation of the body between choreographer Dick Wong, Dumb Type performance artist Takao Kawaguchi, and independent filmmaker/actor Koichi Imaizumi, investigating how a man - as human being and of the male gender - find his place in the world. Based on observations and explorations of their similarities and differences, Wong, Kawaguchi and Imaizumi employ their individual expertise, skills and knowledge to form a multi - dimensional collage of dance, text, drama and film.

Co-produced by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Takao Kawaguchi Project with support from The Saison Foundation, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space.

Tokyo, Japan
23 Jan 6pm Morishita Studio
24 Jan 3pm Morishita Studio
25 Jan 7:30pm Morishita Studio
26 Jan 7:30pm Morishita Studio

Kobe, Japan
30 Jan 7pm Art Theatre dB
31 Jan 3pm Art Theatre dB

Hong Kong
13 Mar 7:30pm Black Box Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong
14 Mar 2:30pm Black Box Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong

Lisbon
24 May 9:30pm Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal

25 May 7pm Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal

POSTAL BOOKING FOR HONG KONG DATES STARTS NOW UNTIL 27/11 : http://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/prog/34