‘We earn and spend under the guise of normalcy, yet when balance falters, we slip into a hollowed existence… Let us strip away the layers of self and confront the demons hollowing us from within.’
Refined over seven years across venues in Asia, Elspeth Chan and Grad Leung’s modern take on Japanese Butoh blends technology with the universal theme of societal pressure…
Inspired by the plight of the homeless and struggles such as the 2019 Hong Kong protest and 2024 Bangladesh uprising, Hollowed Man dives into what makes society tick: money. Earning and spending shape our daily experiences, and Grad’s choreography reflects this. The protagonist starts from rock bottom under a protective newspaper shell, and transforms into a ‘wealthy’ person in gold and silver with a cloak made from joss paper (traditional ghost money). Wealth is fleeting, though, just like the red balloon he struggles to stop from floating away.
On his way to success, he hands out more balloons to the audience; I noticed that whether it burst or not seemed to be decided by how willing you were to receive the gift. Those who hesitated were out of luck! Grad’s movements are accompanied by surreal digital projections by Akane Hiraoka, an effective illustration of the protagonist’s oppression and, ultimately, liberation. It’s only a 40-minute show, but it sparked important questions in the audience with no words spoken.
The Hollowed Man 5.0 is an accessible introduction to Butoh and a timely exploration of marginalised experiences.
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The Hollowed Man 5.0 is at theSpace Niddry St. from 7-15 Aug at 19:25.