Photo by Jeffrey Choy
Ghost and John
are a Hong Kong multidisciplinary art duo who are best known for our innovative integration of performance and contemporary technologies; and collaborative approach to making socio-politically pertinent artworks. Drawing from their experiences working in biology and computer science, they have developed a dynamic artistic practice that examines the intricacies of the body and nature, technological advances and folklore that accompany history.
Their embrace of digital technology allows them to create extended choreographic experiences beyond theatre and dance, and broadcast our arts to wider audiences. Working across video, installation and performance, they create unique spectator encounters from scientific to spiritual, and from historical to mythical. Through complex investigations of social, historical, and cultural differences across the globe, they constantly explore the post-colonial trauma of Hong Kong, the use of technology in democratic societies and new forms of art presentation.
As migrant and queer artists, recurring themes in their works focus on explorations of social injustice, including political suppression, racism and homophobia; and fragmented memories of traumatic experiences related to the displacement of home, relationships, activism and technological interactions.
As cultural entrepreneurs, Ghost and John are co-founders of Hidden Keileon CIC - A multidisciplinary artist-led non-profit enterprise aiming at building inter-racial solidarity, creating the yet-to-exist and hard-to-imagine.
“Highly engaged, emerging artist, whose creations are formally and content wise, cutting edge, examine amongst others other changing relationship with communication technology and also addressing some of the current political issues.”
- Dr. Guy Cools, renowned Dance Dramaturg, Associate Professor in Dance Studies, Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, the Netherlands and Guest Professor, Ghent University, Belgium
“(They) are among a number of Hong Kong-born artists who have found success in the British arts scene in recent years... As a group that emphasises the physical and tangible in their work, and frequently invokes Hong Kong’s identity as a central theme, gaining their own sense of this new ‘texture’ was critical.”
- Ethan Paul, South China Morning Post
Ghost and John graduated from M.A. (Distinction) in Contemporary Dance, London Contemporary Dance School in 2019. They are an MGC Futures Bursary awardee in 2021, a danceWEB scholarship recipient and an ATLAS young choreographer at ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival 2019. They are artist members of Chisenhale Dance Space, London, and have been artists-in-residence at Live Art Development Agency, London, and artist fellows at Hong Kong Dance Alliance.
Our social innovation project, ‘Radio Neighbourhood’, was awarded Ideas and Pioneers Fund by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We explore the politics of telling ESEA stories in British public spaces, meanwhile creating work for fellow ESEA freelancers in the post-pandemic art world. It was presented at Migration Museum, British Library, Bloomsbury Festival, Deptford X, Omnibus Theatre, Bow Arts and Shape Lewisham.
‘Thousand Papers’ was our solo exhibition in May 2021 with Fitzrovia Noir, supported by Poplar Union and Finborough Theatre. It is an installation performance working with paper and text as the materials, looking at words from jailed activists. It has also been presented at events with Goldsmiths CCA, Whitechapel Gallery and more.
Our multimedia duet performance, ‘I’M NOT SURE’, a work interrogating the nature of our digital society, was presented at The Place, London; Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz, Vienna; Goethe-Institut Hongkong. Our interactive immersive production, ‘Meniscus’, explores screen traumas as one witnesses violent images at social movements.
A selection of our recent works: Anarchist artist collaborative project ‘#12Artworks’ at London Performance Studio; Experimental theatre ‘Minute Moonshine’ at Tai Kwun, Hong Kong; Stage performance ‘Skirmishes’ at The Place, London; Video collaboration with Moongate Production ‘No Time For Tears’; Livestreaming work ‘Meme-ify’ with Framer Framed, Amsterdam; Online interactive work ‘Meniscus Going Online’ with BUZZCUT Glasgow. Ghost and John’s works have been supported by Arts Council England, Creative Europe, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and many more.
點擊這裏閱讀中文版
CV available on request. Please contact us through info@ghostandjohn.art
Press
一分鐘的薛丁格盒子 - Review on Minute Moonshine
misssisyphus at 立場新聞 19 Oct 2021
五個香港創作人在倫敦相遇 打邊爐烚出《痴線一分鐘》
立場新聞 27 Sep 2021
表演節目精選｜大館場域限定 表演藝術跨度賞
星島日報 16 Sep 2021
講香港故事本地高手
香港仔 14 Sep 2021
https://dw-media.tkww.hk/epaper/hker/20210914/p22-0914.pdf
大館表演藝術季：SPOTLIGHT 方言、身體、花崗岩 香港故事密密尋
文匯報 08 Sep 2021
https://www.wenweipo.com/a/202109/08/AP6137cd81e4b08d3407d8eea4.html
Whitechapel Gallery First Thursday September 2021 (Mention)
02 Sep 2021
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/about/blog/first-thursdays-september-2021/
Review: BUZZCUT Festival (online)
Naomi Obeng, Exuent - 12 June 2021
https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/review-buzzcut-festival/
Whitechapel Gallery First Thursday May 2021 (Mention)
6 May 2021
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/about/blog/first-thursdays-may-2021/
Aberfeldy Street celebrates Poplarism with art installation (Feature)
Ruby Flanagan, Poplar LDN - 2 May 2021
https://poplarlondon.co.uk/art-aberfeldy-street-poplarism-shumghostjohn/
‘I thought about Bruce Lee’: how Hong Kong artists in Britain struggled to feel from afar the pulse of their home city, and to represent it (Feature)
Ethan Paul, South China Morning Post - 27 Mar 2021
Fantastic Frustration - Cart Noodle Show (Review)
Nick Swyft, Mark Aspen Reviews - 28 Feb 2021
https://markaspen.com/2021/02/27/cart-noodle/
《I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU, BUT I NEED...》浮遊在現實和虛幻之間 (Review)
葉瑪 - dance journal/hk - December 2020
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU, BUT I NEED (Review)
열 번째 연결과 대화 - 홍콩아트센터(Hong Kong Arts Centre (Mention)
Meme-ify: An Attempt to Dance Through Pain with Humour (Report)
Emily Lee - Framer Framed - September 2020
身處荒謬年代，別忘記呼吸 ── 在鏡中照見自身的舞蹈詩 (Review)
聞如 - 立場新聞 - 24 August 2020
Exploring the Hongkonger identity through physical creativity (Feature)
MehPorpor - We Are HKers - 10 July 2020
《Meniscus Going Online》多國舞者網上同步 舞蹈表演online新體驗 (Feature)
Sandra Lam - The Culturist 文化者 - 17 June 2020
#WeRNotVirus with Moongate Productions (Reviews and Mention)
From Page to Stage - 16 June 2020
Performing ‘Home’ - Hongkongese contemporary art duo Ghost and John (Feature)
Dancing Towards A Convergent Path (Feature)
HKUST Alumni Kaleidoscope - 19 Mar 2020
‘Skirmishes’ Ghost and John with Angela Hui at The Place (Review)
Jenny Gilbert and Abbie Jones - The Place Blog (UK) - 9 Jan 2020
Proximity Switches - Meniscus at The Playground
Nick Swyft, Mark Aspen Reviews - 30 Nov 2019
https://markaspen.com/2019/11/30/meniscus-at-the-playground/
3個眾籌學費追夢的少年：「一早有心理準備去銀行盡借。」(Feature)
The Culturist專訪 - 11 Jul 2018
3青年放下工作 舞出夢想 (港聞)
Showcase: Dance trio find a way to make dancing their full-time career (Feature)
中文版
鬼與約翰是香港當代多媒體創作雙人藝團，擅於結合當代表演藝術與現代科技，帶給觀眾新穎的感官體驗。二人分別來自電腦科學和生物學背景，作品亦圍繞於演算法與生物學中的共生理論，巧妙融合歷史神話和各地民間傳說，在科技發展中找尋創新的表演方式及藝術實踐。
通過影像、表演和裝置等藝術作品，鬼與約翰強調不同藝術形式的碰撞交流及觀演經驗。透過不斷的創作和研究，他們挑戰藝術的界限、探索科技在民主社會的角色、以及持績關注香港後殖民時代的創傷。
他們曾於世界各地演出，包括倫敦 The Place、維也納 ImPulsTanz、香港歌德學院、阿姆斯特丹 Framer Framed 等。他們於2018年在ImPulsTanz維也納國際舞蹈節擔任ATLAS年輕編舞家，同時獲得 danceWEB獎學金。他們以一級榮譽畢業於倫敦當代舞學院（London Contemporary Dance School），取得當代舞碩士學位。
(林韻兒字)