HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội audiences will have a rare chance to enjoy what some would describe as the strange world of contemporary arts with a performance by painted artists performing in a pond full of water. The work is by artist Đào Anh Khánh.

Khánh believes life started in water and describes it as "the most popular element on Earth". That’s why he finds inspiration in the liquid and chose it as the theme for his performance.

Khánh will perform together with artists such as musician Nikola Mounoud from Switzerland, performing artists Lê Nguyên Mạnh and Vũ Lâm, đàn tranh (16-chord zither) player Nguyễn Thị Thanh Huyền, actor Bùi Thanh and actress Hoàng Trang from Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Theatre.

Their stated aim is to discover and present movements of the body to a background of  light and music.

“We will also use body painting to make the artists become artworks themselves,” said Khánh. “The body of each artist will be a brush to paint the air.

“I have not built a detailed script for the show,” he said. “We just based it on a concept and perform and interact with each other following our real emotions and the lead of music and light.

“For example, artist Lâm will play a leaf floating in the water. He will be deep in meditation and harmonise his breathing to see how a human “leaf” drifts in the waves.”

The series, titiled In Water, will include four shows inspired by the four seasons. The first show, In Autumn, will be organised on the evening of October 6 at Đào Ánh Khánh Treehouses, Lane 462, Ngọc Thuỵ Street, Long Biên District, Hà Nội.

Entrance is free but due to limited space around the swimming pool, there will be space for only about 50 viewers. However, the performance will be broadcast live on two big screens.

Khánh was born in 1959. He works as a painter and performing artist. He’s known widely for Đáo Xuân (Spring Comes), a performing art series over the past 10 years. He has performed and exhibited abroad.

Khánh unique art events have attracted many audiences and convinced other Vietnamese and international artists to join. — VNS