EVENT DESCRIPTION
Imagine if gathering, remembering, eating, working, suffering, and dancing were all forms of knowledge production. This is the heart of AUUUUDITORIUM, a groundbreaking, continuously evolving project that challenges traditional methods of knowledge production. Inspired by the works of cultural theorist Fred Moten and scholar Stefano Harney, AUUUUDITORIUM redefines ‘study’ as a collective, diverse pursuit that encompasses dialogue, movement, and shared experiences, all under the umbrella of ‘speculative practice.’
The AUUUUDITORIUM project is housed on the second floor of the museum, a space that was once the Wu Lien-teh Auditorium, a significant venue inaugurated in 1933. This auditorium served as a central hub for Royal Asiatic Society members to share their discoveries, which were later published in the China Journal (1923–1941).
Today, AUUUUDITORIUM hosts Scenography for a Shanghai Science Fiction Opera (2024), a newly commissioned installation by artist Ming Wong. Renowned for his works that delve deeply into the structure and social context of cinema and traditional forms of performing arts, Wong’s work creates a portal through which we can collectively envision a future deeply rooted in a specific local past.
The year-long program of AUUUUDITORIUM is led by a polyvocal effort from the museum’s curatorial team, inviting contributions from artists, scholars, musicians and performers, weaving together artistic speculations, collective memories, marginalized knowledge, and vernacular fiction. It underscores the crucial need to recognize and respect the intrinsic authority of indigenous knowledge systems in deciphering complex geographical and cultural tapestries.
At the core of AUUUUDITORIUM is a dynamic approach to the act of study, prioritizing motion, circulation, and redistribution over static learning. This new movement of “study” is launched through a series of carefully curated weekend programs and weekday events.
