Para Site and Spring Workshop jointly present a lecture-performance by Ming Wong, followed by a conversation between Ming, Doryun Chong (Chief Curator, M+), and Alan Lau (Co-Chair of Para Site’s board).

Since starting his Para Site/Spring research residency in mid-December, Ming Wong’s research into Cantonese opera has led him into the realm of contemporary Chinese science fiction. Departing from the idea of exploring how one of the oldest performing art forms in the world can be used to address notions of the ‘future’, he is looking at how Cantonese opera went from stage to screen and how the innovations of cinema have then affected this form’s return from screen to stage.

What role can Cantonese opera play in a world that continues to evolve at such great speed, when a booming economy and rapid technological developments can cause daily life in China to resemble a classic sci-fi narrative? By turning his focus on the history and development of science fiction literature in the Chinese-speaking world, Ming continues his fantastic voyage between the diverse expressions of the past and the future.