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AWAKEN 2023
Date of Creation
2023/10
Type/Medium
Public Puppetry Performance
Position
Puppet Maker | Puppeteer | Performer
Location
Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai
Awaken is a public puppetry performance conceived and led by puppet artist Yuntian Li for the RAM Assembles The Bund Architecture Festival (RAMA), a biennial architecture festival in Shanghai. The work responds to the lack of accessible public space in Shanghai during the post-pandemic period, using puppetry and public interaction as a way to reactivate urban space and invite collective participation.
In 2022, I was selected to join the project as a puppet maker, puppeteer and performer. I experienced the dynamic energy generated between performers, audiences and public space. Performing in an open site revealed the unique possibilities—and challenges—of actor-audience relationships in public environments. Without a fixed stage or central character, the performance can appear lively and festive, yet unprepared spectators may interrupt its flow. This requires performers to rely on strong rehearsal processes and improvisational skills to maintain coherence and respond fluidly to the surroundings.
