​​Méiyǒu shālù (Without Killing)

"Méiyǒu shālù (Without Killing)" stands as a collaborative venture, a confluence of acousmatic music and interpretive dance that I, Anna Troisi, had the honor of creating alongside the esteemed Rongrong Gao, an exceptional dancer with a distinguished background from the Beijing Dance Academy. This piece was a definitive feature of the past "Great Sounds Seek Silence: Sonic and Visual Art Exhibition," held at the Exhibition Space on the Ground Floor of the St. James Hatcham Building in London from the 24th to the 30th of November 2023.

In this collaboration, Rongrong Gao brought unparalleled grace and expertise to the performance, engaging in a poignant exchange that traversed the realms of auditory creation and physical narrative. Inspired by the sage insights of Laozi, our work deeply resonated with the exhibition's theme, echoing the intricate interplay between silence and sound, the formless and the shaped.

"Méiyǒu shālù" was not merely a performance but an immersive experience that wove together art, culture, and philosophy. It invited the audience to a celebration of the profound depth of Chinese tradition while advocating for peace and non-violence, themes that find universal resonance across all cultures and time.

At the heart of our performance was the innovative use of Chinese characters for "without killing" [沒有殺戮] as a graphic score, moving beyond traditional musical notation to intertwine visual art with sound in a profound and contemplative manner. These characters, intricate and visually captivating, became more than text—they transformed into an auditory experience, harmonizing sight and sound in a display that embodied the exhibition's exploration of the visual influenced by the non-visual.

The performance was a poignant symbol of pacifism, addressing the exhibition's dichotomy of sound and silence. The absence of violence, encapsulated by "without killing," emerged as a profound silence, echoing more powerfully than any audible sound.

Through "Méiyǒu shālù," I aimed to convey a pacifist message, inviting the audience to reflect on the profound impact of non-violence and the potent stillness of peace. The composition itself was an acousmatic journey, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in a soundscape created by these Chinese characters, transcending linguistic barriers to evoke deep contemplation and reflection.

This piece stood as a testament to the collaborative creation and the enduring belief in the power of art to embody and communicate the principles of Tao and the teachings of peace. The performance was so well-received that the Goldsmiths Confucius Institute For Dance and Performance has graciously offered to produce a film directed by Dove Che, capturing the essence of this captivating work. This film is set to be screened at the Chinese New Year festival organized by the institute in February 2024, promising to extend the reach and impact of "Méiyǒu shālù" to an even wider audience.