AECFest RESIDENCY: CHAMPIONING CULTURAL EXCHANGE

2023
EDITION

AECFest Supported Residency: X

The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) 2023 introduced a pioneering hybrid residency model, marking the pilot project of the festival’s residency programme. Designed to foster artistic exchange across borders, the residency enabled Italian choreographer Olimpia Fortuni and Malaysian dancer-choreographer January Low to collaborate on X, a performance born from months of virtual and in-person research.

Facilitated by AECFest, the artists first met online, engaging in an exploratory phase where they exchanged personal and artistic references. Their discussions centered on themes of ritual, transformation, and the body’s ability to carry memory across generations. Drawing from Fortuni’s interest in shamanic practices and archetypal symbols, and Low’s deep knowledge of Indian classical Odissi dance, they examined how movement could serve as a bridge between tradition and contemporary expression. The online phase allowed them to develop a conceptual framework and establish an artistic dialogue despite geographical distance.

Their residency culminated in Singapore, where they finally met in person to refine their work and physically experiment with the ideas they had developed remotely. This in-person phase enabled them to merge their respective movement vocabularies, testing how gestures, rhythms, and breath could shape a shared language of care and connection.

Culmination of residency with the performance of X at the River Terrace of Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. © Suhaimi Abdullah
Culmination of residency with the performance of X at the River Terrace of Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. © Suhaimi Abdullah
Collaboration of Olimpia Fortuni, Katatonic Silentio and January for X. © Suhaimi Abdullah
Collaboration of Olimpia Fortuni, Katatonic Silentio and January for X. © Suhaimi Abdullah
X performance at the AECFest 2023 in Singapore. © Suhaimi Abdullah
X performance at the AECFest 2023 in Singapore. © Suhaimi Abdullah

January Low, with over 30 years of experience in the Indian classical dance form Odissi, brought her expertise to X, exploring the intangible aspects of the divine feminine and creating a bridge between cultures and artistic expressions. Moreover, the collaboration with musician Katatonic Silentio (Mariachiara Troianiello) influenced the choreography, focusing on authentic movement and self-awareness.

The performance X, inspired by shamanic practices and Western archetypal symbols, created a metaphysical journey for the audience in Singapore, emphasizing exchange, listening, and the search for connection through care and love. The collaboration highlighted the fusion of Eastern and Western dance forms, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and mutual respect in cross-border artistic endeavors.

As the first project under the AECFest residency programme, this hybrid model demonstrated the potential of blending digital and physical collaboration to foster artistic innovation. By providing artists with the time, space, and structure to engage across borders, the festival underscores the importance of residencies in shaping contemporary artistic practices. The success of this pilot project paves the way for future cross-cultural exchanges.

Olimpia Fortuni is a dancer and choreographer whose work explores the relationship between humans, nature, and time, often through collaborative projects and multidisciplinary approaches. Her career includes performing with notable choreographers, creating award-winning solo and group works, and engaging in research residencies internationally, demonstrating a commitment to both performance and artistic exploration.
Olimpia Fortuni is a dancer and choreographer whose work explores the relationship between humans, nature, and time, often through collaborative projects and multidisciplinary approaches. Her career includes performing with notable choreographers, creating award-winning solo and group works, and engaging in research residencies internationally, demonstrating a commitment to both performance and artistic exploration.
Mariachiara Troianiello, the Italian sound artist behind the moniker Katatonic Silentio, works at  the crossroads of electronic music, performing arts and sound studies. Her work spans radio residencies, collaborations with light art collectives, and ethnomusicological research into the origins of sound, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and manipulating auditory experiences.
Mariachiara Troianiello, the Italian sound artist behind the moniker Katatonic Silentio, works at  the crossroads of electronic music, performing arts and sound studies. Her work spans radio residencies, collaborations with light art collectives, and ethnomusicological research into the origins of sound, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and manipulating auditory experiences.
January Low, born, raised, educated and currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia specialises in an Eastern classical Indian dance form known as Odissi and has been practicing for close to 30 years. Her practice observes how Odissi exists in her daily, Southeast Asian female body and investigates various entry points to create different encounters with Odissi that enables agency for both audience and performer.
January Low, born, raised, educated and currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia specialises in an Eastern classical Indian dance form known as Odissi and has been practicing for close to 30 years. Her practice observes how Odissi exists in her daily, Southeast Asian female body and investigates various entry points to create different encounters with Odissi that enables agency for both audience and performer.

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