Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Sonic Blossom is a celebrated performative installation created by Lee Mingwei (born 1964) in 2013. It is inspired by Lee’s experience of caring for his mother during her recovery from surgery, when he found beauty and comfort in listening to the songs of Austrian classical composer Franz Schubert (1797–1828) together with her. With five chosen Lieder and a group of Hong Kong-based classical singers, Sonic Blossom transforms these songs into an extraordinary offering that elicits spontaneous moments of trust, intimacy, and self-awareness. During the performance, a singer dressed in a specially designed robe approaches museum visitors at random to offer them a live vocal performance of one of Schubert’s Lieder.

This gift of song sparks a brief but powerful relationship between the singer and the listener, fostering a profound sense of connection and transformation. The installation is open to the public from Tuesday, 27 August to Sunday, 29 September 2024 with live performances scheduled from 14:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays to Thursdays, and on weekends; as well as from 14:00 to 18:00 on Fridays. The M+ presentation of Sonic Blossom is carried out in collaboration with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.