Hagay Dreaming is a cross-disciplinary theater production created by Indigenous Truku artist Dondon Hounwn and new media art pioneer Shu Lea Cheang. It is the culmination of five years of in-depth exploration of the fusion of Indigenous mythology and technology.
The starting point for Hagay Dreaming is a legend of a chance encounter between a hunter and Hagay created by Dondon Hounwn, integrated with the work of new media art pioneer Shu Lea Cheang. Their practice can be termed “technoshamanism.” Elements include traditional mouth harp, songs, and rituals, in addition to experimental music and laser projection. Over the past five years, these two creators have successfully translated the ancient wisdom of the Truku Gaya (universal laws) into contemporary themes of gender fluidity, spiritual rebirth, and cultural reconstruction, within a rich, captivating, and socially impactful sci-fi setting.
In this lecture, these two creators will talk about the creative process for this work, which blends lasers, legend, real-life experiences, and digital rituals. In this era of cultural loss, with this work, they envision new life for contemporary Indigenous art.
Moderator｜Lu Wei-Lun
Lu Wei-Lun is an independent curator and art critic, who focuses on contemporary Indigenous art, postcolonialism, and gender theory research. His recent curatorial works include Amorous Mountains, Erotic Seas: Queer, Indigene, and the Hidden History and Memo from the Great Mother: Aluaiy Kaumakan Solo Exhibition.
Panelist｜ Dondon Hounwn
Born in 1985.
Dondon Hounwn is of the Indigenous Truku tribe from the Donmong Community in Hualien County’s Xiulin Township. Dondon means “lovely child,” a novel and unique name in his community. Hounwn is from his father’s ancient name, which symbolizes a sharp blade. Dondon Hounwn is a combination of contemporary and traditional elements, reflecting the contrast between his humorous personality and serious creative attitude, with these contradictions constantly colliding and blending.
Dondon combines video, installation, and performance art to convey real-life experiences, transforming and connecting them, then reflecting on their value. He looks back on the past to explore the differences between today’s value concepts and those of the people before in terms of natural resources and the land, while considering the balance between perfection and decay.
Panelist｜Shu Lea Cheang
Born in 1954.
Shu Lea Cheang is an artist and filmmaker whose artistic practices blend different creative genres and transcend gender boundaries.
BRANDON (1998-99) became the first Internet artwork commissioned and collected by the Guggenheim Museum in New York, establishing her as a pioneer of Internet-based art.
In 2019, she represented Taiwan at the Venice Biennale with a mixed media installation entitled 3x3x6. She has also created four feature-length films in the queer science fiction genre: Fresh Kill (1994), I.K.U. (2000), FluidØ (2017), and UKI (2023). In 2023, UKI was screened at the LAS Art Foundation in Berlin, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
In 2024, Cheang received the LG Guggenheim Award in recognition of her achievements in technology-based cross-disciplinary artistic creation.
