Travels to Angkor Wat inspire project of reflection

Echoing the exhibition, Angkor Royal Bronzes: Art of the Divine, held at the Guimet Museum in Paris, artist Shen Wei presents the Angkor Wat Project, an unprecedented performance blending dance, painting, photography, video, and music.

Unveiled at the Guimet Museum on May 14, the Angkor Wat Project draws inspiration from Shen's travels through Asia, particularly the artist's trip to Cambodia, which is marked by his impressions, the temples and trees, and the effects of time passing on stones.

The project's four acts — The Face, The Three, The Nature and The Cultural — are not only a stage performance, but a dialogue between art and philosophy.

Through dance, Shen constructs "Angkor in the heart", where the audience is not a mere bystander but a participant in history and creator of spirituality.

According to Shen, he took many photos at Angkor Wat, the former capital of the Khmer empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries, featuring locals from children to the elderly. There are also shots of temples, various architectural structures and nature.

"I recorded some sounds, such as the birds in the forest and other natural sounds, which appear in the first scene (of the production) and accompany the dancers as they perform," says Shen.

The second act moves into the artist's inner landscape — his interpretation of Angkor Wat.

The dancers use a technique that embodies the transformation, displaying a new relationship between their bodies and the dance. From there, nature expands into the cosmic realm, revealing a spiritual essence.

As the performance progresses, it moves toward the past — people of that time and today — and comes full circle to offer a reflection of contemporary society.

Continuously exploring the world mirrors the artist's reflections, leading to the creation of new artistic life.

Shen was born in Hunan province in 1968 to Chinese opera professionals and was trained as a child to also become a Chinese opera performer. He also learned traditional Chinese ink painting and calligraphy. As a student, he studied Western visual art, which propelled an interest in modern dance.

In 1989, he began modern dance training at the American Dance Festival's program at the Guangdong Dance Academy in China. In 1991, he became a founding member of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company.

After accepting a fellowship, he moved to New York in 1995. In July 2000, he founded Shen Wei Dance Arts and his company quickly entered the international touring circuit, performing in over 30 countries.

He served as the lead choreographer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and has held solo exhibitions in leading galleries and museums for his paintings.