Vivian Lu ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ

Vivian Lu ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱟᱞᱟ ᱯᱨᱚᱫᱟᱨᱥᱚᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2020 A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱨᱩᱯᱟᱠᱟᱞᱟ ᱯᱨᱚᱫᱟᱨᱥᱚᱱ· 2020

Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ

Vivian Lu ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ

ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: Vivian Lu Design Studio Limited

ᱠᱟᱞᱟ ᱯᱨᱚᱫᱟᱨᱥᱚᱱ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

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A' Design Award ᱨᱮ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱨᱤᱞᱤᱡ ᱯᱩᱨᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱮᱡ

ᱨᱚᱝ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

ᱟᱵᱥᱤᱱᱛᱷᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱤᱡᱤᱠᱥ, ᱢᱟᱴᱟᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱭᱠᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱴᱷᱤᱭᱮᱴᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱥᱮᱴ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱚᱶᱟᱞ ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚᱨᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱚᱠᱛᱚ ᱵᱩᱡᱷᱟᱹᱣᱟᱭᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱜᱮᱞᱮᱠᱥᱤ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱞᱟᱦᱟᱛᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱞᱩᱯ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱯᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ ᱾ ᱪᱷᱤᱴᱟᱹ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱛᱮ ᱰᱷᱟᱠᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱦᱮᱸᱫᱮ ᱨᱚᱯᱟ ᱵᱚᱨᱚ ᱥᱮᱞᱮᱫ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱢᱟᱨᱟᱝ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱦᱟᱥ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱵᱩᱡᱷᱟᱹᱣᱟᱠᱚᱣᱟ ᱾ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱠᱟᱥᱴᱚᱢ ᱞᱮᱡᱚᱨ ᱮᱫᱟᱜ ᱥᱟᱰᱮ ᱵᱤᱡᱩᱣᱟᱞᱟᱭᱡᱚᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱰᱮ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱪᱮᱫᱟᱜ ᱥᱮ ᱞᱮᱡᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱢ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱮᱠᱴᱚᱨ ᱠᱚᱣᱟᱜ ᱟᱲᱟᱝ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱯᱷᱨᱤᱠᱩᱣᱮᱱᱥᱤ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱰᱦᱟ ᱦᱚᱪᱚᱜᱼᱟ ᱾ ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱩᱱᱩᱴ ᱠᱚ ᱡᱟᱸᱪ ᱦᱩᱭᱮᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱛᱮ ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱚᱸᱲᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱨᱟᱭ ᱛᱮ ᱪᱟᱞᱟᱜ, ᱱᱤᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱛᱟᱠᱚ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ ᱾

ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ

A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Absinthe ᱢᱩᱲᱩᱛ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ: ᱢᱟᱸᱪ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ

ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ: Vivian introduced the technology of laser light sound visualiser to magnify senses in the whole theatrical experiences, and allowed sound to be seen. She custom-made different laser light gadgets and experiments with different materials to find the best one to be used on stage. Every angle of the middle circular stage was carefully designed and the inclusion of technology brought a whole new blend of artistic richness in theatre. The beauty of the design is the limitless interpretation of the set according to their understanding of the play. The oval stage represents time, but can be seen as the milky way, Möbius band etc.
ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ: Vivian experimented with different forms of custom-made sound laser visualiser to best utilise actors on stage
ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ: Scenography, Stage Design, merging physics and set design
ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ: The project required a lot of research and experimentation, especially experimenting with the laser light sound visualizer, making sure the visuals created from different sound frequencies went hand in hand with the general set design. A lot of prior research also had to be done on the subject matter or physics, black holes and relativity, to create a stage that portrayed elements of these subjects, to allow audiences to quickly connect and be immersed into the show as it was a play that discussed quite complex subjects. For the staging and material we chose dark reflective panels to create the effect of this vast yet mysterious universe, also covering it with splattered paint to symbolise the milky galaxy. This and stage received great feedback, and special mentions on review platforms highlighted and praised the stage design and effects, and how it truly immersed people into the story.
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ: On the initial design part, there are a lot of discussions on how to tactic a complex play, where many deep subjects were discussed and visually portray it all in a manner that guided the audience into the topics and be immersed into the world. Technically during production the curvature of the oval shape had to be very exact, as we wanted to visually make it look really smooth when we detach it to different shapes. The kinds of wheels were also a very big technical challenge as the different points of attaching the wheels made a huge difference on the stage's mobility.
ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ: Every angle of the main stage was experimented with consideration of the feasibility on how actor’s move on set. We experimented with different inclination of the set and prior to the performance, we trained actors to walk, run and jump at different angles we have on the circular stage to avoid stage accidents. The whole stage was built with extensive technological difficulties and precision because we had to find the balance of designing it to achieve desired artistic visual but also take intensive examination that structurally it is strong enough withstand immense weight.
ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ: Absinthe was a project that has given Vivian a chance to explore potential visuals merging physics and scenography. It was a play that explored topics on physics, matter and psychology. She wanted to experiment with different ways to unearth a new power to enhance audiences sense in the whole theatrical experiences. Vivian wanted to find new ways to capture audience’s imagination and to see how to create different relationship with time.
ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ: The show was first showcased in Beijing in 2019 then toured around in Shenzhen and Shanghai in 2020.
ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ: Through the sound vibrations spoken from the actors, laser lights were distorted based on the frequency of spoken sound. The visuals that came out from the actors and actress voice varies drastically due to the pitch of their specific voice.. The actors rehearsed for months with the devices to create a specific imagery to go with the set design.
ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱠᱚ: Stage Designer : Vivian Lu
Director : Johnny Tam