THEME: The Politics of Space

The Chinese title for this year, Yingzao Fashi, draws its name from China’s first systematic architectural treatise (Song Dynasty, 1103 AD). We use “Standards (Fadu) / Construction (Yingzao)” as a metaphor for spatial power and creative methodology, re-examining construction standards and stage order:

Who dictates the movement paths? Who possesses the right to watch and be watched? How does space function as a negotiation and distribution of power?

Simultaneously, we are responding to the recent wave of “immersive performance.” When space is treated merely as a gimmick or a container, the work loses its edge in engaging with cultural structures. We advocate for space to enter the content and form of the work itself—letting movement paths become narrative, materials become arguments, and the spectator-performer relationship become a variable. We believe that public space should summon public consciousness and carry public discourse.

“Limitations and margins are the beginning of creation.” — Liu Xiaoyi, Beyond the Theatre: Space as Symbol and Culture, Guangdong Art, 2024

We will embark on a dual practice of “Norms vs. Anti-Norms”: On one hand, we will learn the craftsmanship of production (materials, scale, structure, circulation, and safety). On the other, we will test the possibilities of “Anti-Norms” (shifting entrances, resetting sightlines, swapping roles, and redrawing boundaries).

Through repeated cycles of micro-construction and deconstruction, we will explore the tangible experiences and invisible mechanisms of Space—Power—Performance.