THE DETHRONING OF DIVINE BEASTS
| COMMISSIONED BY CHRISTIE’S, LONDON
A Sequel To The Classics Of Mountains And Seas
A Journey From The Magical To The Mundane Through Fashion, Dance And Theatre
A Journey From The Magical To The Mundane Through Fashion, Dance And Theatre
THE DETHRONING OF DIVINE BEASTS | COMMISSIONED BY CHRISTIE’S, LONDON from Film Mime - Albert Zhang on Vimeo.
The performance is an adaption of the Classics of Mountains and Seas, an early compilation of Chinese geography and mythology. Rui XU’s unique costumes, animal masks and specially composed music and dance will tell the story of seven divine beasts, who reside in an ancient, legendary realm: White Marsh, Torch Dragon, Chimera, Chenghuang, Water Unicorn, Nine-Tailed Fox and Pale Deer of Flood. These once-exalted, powerful creatures, formed as both gods and beasts, are terrified to discover the loss of their magical powers as they are transported to the mundane world of modern city life.
They soon come to realise that the jade figures that manifest around them resemble their own appearances. This gives rise to a meaningful awakening within each of them: a realisation that they are, in fact, connected to the mortal realm. The storyline progresses as these once-divine creatures find themselves surrounded by human beings without their powers to relieve them. They are now stranded in an unfamiliar world…
The world is in a state of constant change. The divinity of nature has been altered by the influence of technology in the dawn of the digital age. In absence of greater guidance provided by the divine, when the faith no longer holds the answer, which path awaits mankind?
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