Drifting to the Rhythms at the Southeast of Nowhere

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“Drifting to the Rhythms at the Southeast of Nowhere” engenders a locational and metaphorical site of re-connection and transformation, invoking performance practices of Southeast Asian folk dances and a dynamic interplay of sound and choreography. Tradition persists not as a static remnant, but as a living form that shapes our temporal realities. In this way, the piece intertwines traditional dance with music composed by an interactive instrument that is activated by touch and modulated by the negotiation of its players. The body is fused with a touch-activated scenic interface, it is both a conductor and a conduit, generating composition in real-time.

With this new work, Nguyễn + Transitory further their exploration of the space between sound, performance, movement and installation while amalgamating traditional folk and contemporary forms – navigating between past and present without privileging or diminishing either. The duo’s practice explores the transformative potential of sound as a dramaturgical force deeply interconnected with cognitive memory, lost histories and collective experiences. Their approach is built on an ongoing negotiation between the friction of form and the fluidity of artistic processes. These intersections seek new languages, idioms and modes of expression in performing arts, music and sound. Nguyễn + Transitory resist fixed outcomes, embracing the performative process as a site of becoming – where sound, space and history are constantly redefined and reconstituted.

“Drifting to the Rhythms at the Southeast of Nowhere” will be developed at MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum and MaerzMusik in collaboration with movement artists from Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Trang. The work stems from a long-term collaboration and research started in 2018, further iterations were presented at Radialsystem in 2022, followed by presentations at Dhepsiri Creative Space, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts of the Khon Kaen University and Huế University of Arts in 2023/2024, supported by the Berlin Artistic Research Programme and the International Co-Production Fund of the Goethe-Institut.