The Works：Choreographer Wayne McGregor, the debate of busking in public space, artist Karina Wisni

Fusion is everywhere in the work of contemporary dance choreographer Wayne McGregor whose work has incorporated dancers, musicians, computer generated figures and digital landscapes. Wayne is fascinated by how science can bring new impetus to creativity, and has also worked with dancers and cognitive scientists and technologists to examine the mind/body relationship. Last week, he was in Hong Kong, working with a select group of locally based dancers.
If you saw last week’s show you’ll have seen that there may be a resolution of sorts to the problems of musicians who sometimes need to carry large instruments across town on the MTR. Not everyone is confident about the new measures announced by the MTR, due to be implemented in November. Others are hoping for the best. But it’s not just the underground that can be an unfriendly place for local musicians and performers. For Hong Kong’s street performers things are often not much better above ground.
Born in Venice to Polish-Swiss parents, Karina Wisniewska says she enjoyed a cosmopolitan childhood and an early career as an internationally recognized concert pianist, a career brought to an untimely end by an accident in year 2000. Determined to continue expressing her creativity, Karina turned to painting, giving visual form to sounds and the music she loves. On show at the Karin Weber Gallery is a series of her new works that she says are meant not only to be seen but to be felt.
Hong Kong’s own urban soundscape – that’s a polite word for it - can drive many of us crazy. For some composers and musicians, it can be a source of inspiration. Joining Ben Pelletier in the studio right now are Teriver Cheung, Fung Lam and pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, to talk about their latest collaboration: “Hong Kong Episodes”.