CIAO DATE: 10/04

Asia Society in Context: AsiaSource Interview with Chen Shi-Zheng

Nermeen Shaikh

Q&A AsiaSource Interview
August 2004

Asia Society
Asia Source

Chen Shi-Zheng is a director, choreographer, singer, and actor. He was born in Changsha, Hunan, China in 1963. As a teenager, he studied with some of the great masters of Chinese opera and became a leading traditional opera actor, performing in many productions throughout China. Mr. Chen emigrated to the United States in 1987 and has worked to create a new expression that crosses the boundaries between music, opera, theatre, and dance, and between nationalities. In 2000 he received the title of Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Government.

Forgiveness, performed at the Asia Society from August 28-31, was created by Chen Shi-Zheng with composer Eve Beglarian. Forgiveness is inspired by a classic Chinese ghost opera of murder and revenge, and gives voice to the complex collective memory and emotions of a post-World War II generation of Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.

What prompted your interest in developing a project like Forgiveness?

It is really about the war situation in this country, about the cycle of hatred. One reads the newspapers everyday and it is striking how horrible the situation is between nations, between races. This reminds me of where I come from, China, and the wars between Japan and Korea, and the occupation, and I think it is very interesting how all these things move from one place in the world to another. I really wanted to make this piece for Americans to see, using Asian history, to tell them that maybe there is something to be learned, about what history has taught us, whether the cycle of hatred can be ended, whether the idea of forgiveness as seen in other historical contexts is even attainable. This is the idea behind it.

How does your own perspective on the role of collective mourning and forgiveness for crimes against humanity inflect your work in this piece?

I get very disturbed by different kinds of nationalism all over the world. I always thought that one can only mourn one's history and that there is very little that can be done to resolve these feelings or to make turn them into a positive experience. To me this raises the question of whether forgiveness is even possible in this world. I pose that question to my collaborators in this piece, artists from Korea, China and Japan, and I want people to think about this in a modern, contemporary context, whether it is something we can talk about or not. The idea of putting them together—enemy nations—is precisely to design a project about resolution; the first step is to start a conversation. This piece is my contribution to starting that conversation.

How does this differ from other work you have done?

This is the first time I have worked with exclusively East Asian artists, from Korea, China and Japan. I am trying to apply that context to the contemporary, American political situation so that, in a way, the music, the other elements, are American elements actually. It is more about transposing this Asian context into America, to make an impact in this place, in this situation.

How do you think the combination of different traditions - Korean, Japanese, Chinese—in the form of this piece impacts the message you wish to convey?

It is interesting because for most Americans there is no difference between Asians! They can't tell the difference between Japanese, Koreans and Chinese. I think putting them in different perspectives, in different roles in this piece, gives them each a very strong individual voice, where they come from, their history. I found that very striking. In a way, having artists from these countries working together on a piece like this creates much more depth for cultural reference, for historical reference.

Do you believe that artistic creations such as this can be a useful medium for political and social commentary?

Of course. This is what artists live for: to have a social impact, to have an active role in society, to inspire ordinary people to think differently, to deal with mundane life.

So you see art as political as well?

Yes, everything is political: everything is personal, everything is political.

Interview conducted by Nermeen Shaikh of AsiaSource