HKW

A Cross-media Art Integration,
Assembles and Searches for the Truth

Inspired by the enigmatic character from Paul Auster's novel, City Contemporary Dance Company's dance theatre experience, Mr Blank has evolved through multiple iterations since its premiere in 2018. This 2.0 version, also choreographed and directed by the company's new Artistic Director Sang Jijia, features an enclosed stage design where transparent panels create a fourth wall between audience and performers, blurring the boundaries between watching and being watched.

Hidden cameras capture every movement within this confined chamber in real time. Each Mr Blank—contemplating, searching, struggling within this confined space —mirrors aspects of our shared experiences. The creative team collaborates with a new ensemble whose dynamic movements explore theatrical possibilities in contemporary dance through the interplay of physical space and digital projections. This innovative work reinterprets the essential themes of human disorientation and awakening in the big data era.

(1) Open rehearsal with Korean National Contemporary Dance Company (KNCDC)
Date and Time: 21 October 2025 (Tue) 2pm - 4pm
Venue: Seoul Arts Center
Moderators: Sang Ji-jia (CCDC Artistic Director) and Kim Sung-yong (KNCDC Artistic Director)
Admission: Free admission and registration required
Capacity: around 50 seats

(2) Talk on dance and dramaturgy
Date and Time: 22 October 2025 (Wed) 3pm - 5pm
Venue: Kote (Art Space)
Speakers: Melissa Leung (CCDC Resident Dramaturg) and Yoon Soo-ryon (Dance historian and researcher)
Admission: Free admission and registration required
Capacity: around 100 seats

(3) Post-performance talk
Date and Time: 24 October 2025 (Fri) 8:40pm - 9:10pm
Venue: Hangang Theater, Guangdong Arts Center
Speakers: Sang Ji-jia (Artistic Director), Oliver Shing (Video Designer) and Melissa Leung (Moderator)
Admission: For audience of Mr Blank 2.0 only

Founded in 1979, City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) is the flagship of contemporary dance in Hong Kong. Since its inception, the CCDC has presented over 200 critically acclaimed original works, delivering professional dance productions to audiences across the city. The Company is committed to shaping the contemporary dance scene with extraordinary performances that embody contemporary Hong Kong culture.

In 2025, the CCDC welcomed its fifth Artistic Director, Sang Jijia. Building on his extensive experience with the Company, Sang is dedicated to pursuing excellence in local contemporary dance and exploring interdisciplinary development. Concurrently, the CCDC has been actively engaged in global cultural exchange, having toured numerous cities worldwide and hosted international dance festivals and film festivals locally. By bringing together dance talents, the Company fosters collaborations across diverse artistic fields, showcasing the power of Hong Kong dance to the world while highlighting the diversity of contemporary dance to local audiences.

The CCDC aspires to make dance more accessible to the community while nurturing professional dancers. For the past three decades, CCDC Dance Centre has unceasingly offered dance courses and pre-professional training, while organising outreach programmes to promote dance in the broader community.

City Contemporary Dance Company is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

https://www.ccdc.com.hk/en/ccdc_events/mr-blank-2-0-2/

Dancers:
An Tzu-huan
Chen Dai-wen
Chen Jia-wen
Ferrer Jon Henri Sagolili
Gao Sheng-ting
Hon Su-yi
Huang Teng-sheng
Jiang Xu-ling
Eric Kwong
Stephanie Li
Natalie Mak
Qiao Yang
Shum Pui-yung
Skye Yao
Torte Alliah Xandra Reyes
Yang Yu

"Mr Blank 2.0 a dance piece that’s visually dazzling but feels bleak, brutal and voyeuristic"

──South China Morning Post

"Mr Blank 2.0 is, overall, a compelling production. With dramaturgical coherence, it manages to unfold its narrative through dance with delicacy and order—even amid dense prop details, a large ensemble of dancers, and a continuous performance flow without onstage exits or entrances. "

──Dance Journal

"While the audience appreciates the performance, they also transform into watchers, carefully observing each Mr Blank."

──Cable News

"Although Mr Blank has not yet been staged, the themes this work aims to explore are highly intriguing to me—'surveillance.'"

──The Culturist

"The choreographer, Sang Ji, is well aware that he is immersed in a surveillance society infiltrated by various electronic devices. He creates a massive labyrinth that is only accessible but not exit-able, not just for the fourteen or fifteen dancers on stage, but also for the audience."

──PAR (Performing Arts Redefined)

"The rhythm and coordination of the entire process have a hint of filmmaking, with live performances overlapping with real-time visuals, creating a manifestation of two layers of space and meaning."

──Wenweipo