Showcasing three artists from the emerging arts scene in Myanmar

Myanmar is today experiencing massive growth and change. Democratization has been moving forward since Thein Sein became president in 2011, while freedom to assembly, long restricted under the junta, is now allowed. This has led to an increase in public events, making it easier to hold performances in a variety of places. The spread of Internet access is also accelerating the flow of information and international interchange, creating a wide variety of new forms of expression.

These three artists work in different disciplines and fields but all explore issues of Myanmar’s identity. Simultaneously experiencing their divergent work, audiences will be introduced to the intersecting range of the local scene in a similar way to the roundabout junctions commonly found in Yangon.

The Maw Naing has gained attention at global film festivals for his drama “The Monk”. For Festival/Tokyo, he will present installations and video works, as well as his own performance. Nyan Lin Htet leads his own theatre company called Theatre of the Disturbed and creates work that contrasts with the mainstream performing arts movement. He studied contemporary theatre and has translated and adapted plays from the European canon. His own theatre is a highly satirical take on Myanmar society. The musician and producer Thxa Soe, on the other hand, turns to traditional Burmese music for inspiration, mixing his electronic club sounds with folk songs and hsaing waing ensemble instruments used in religious rites and puppet theatre.

The venue will be designed by award-winning architect and artist Fumihiko Sano. In this way, the second installment of the Asia Series will be a truly reciprocal event between different disciplines and styles, and between Japan and Myanmar.

Asia Series
This program was launched at Festival/Tokyo 2014 with a showcase of Korean performing arts. This year, F/T turns to the burgeoning scene in Myanmar. Each time the festival selects a country or region from Asia and spends time researching the performing arts through fieldwork and exchange with local practitioners. The aim is to increase awareness of the complex network of languages, cultures and arts in Asia, and develop interchange among performing arts peers across the continent.

[Program A]
The Maw Naing(Performance, installations, video works), Nyan Lin Htet(Theatre performance)
Duration: 75 min. (TBC, with interval)
Language: Myanmar language (with Japanese surtitles)
[Program B]
Thxa Soe(Live music)
Duration: 60 min. (TBC)