Distinguished Public Lecture by Dr. Gao Xingjian, Nobel Laureate
in Literature The Finite and the Infinite: the Aesthetics of Creation
Presented by CUHK

In his lecture“The Finite and the Infinite: the Aesthetics of Creation” , Dr. Gao Xingjian will talk about his experiences in and reflections on the creation of literature and art. Every form of art is confined to a finite set of limitations, i.e., the key features that characterize its nature. For examples, literature is to languages, fiction to narrative, drama to actors' performance, and painting to the two-dimensional representation of objects. In determining his or her own approach to creation, an artist must first acknowledge these limitations, and then explore the infinite freedom of expression within.

In Putonghua
Admission by tickets. Details will be announced in early May.

23 rd May 2008 (Fri) 4:00 pm
Shaw College Lecture Theatre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong ,
Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

Enquiries:2609 8893 (Communication and Public Relations, CUHK)

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Gao Xingjian vs Liu Zaifu: Out of the 20th Century
Presented by Ming Pao Monthly

To probe how writers and artists move beyond the artistic creativity and habitual ways of thinking of the twentieth century to come to a new understanding of the dilemmas of human existence as well as the positioning and role of writers and artists.

Hosts：
Mr. Poon Yiu Ming ( Chief Editor & General Manager of Ming Pao Monthly)
Prof. Fong Chee Fun (Professor of Translation Department of CUHK)

Speakers：
Dr. Gao Xingjian (Nobel Laureate in Literature in 2000, Painter)
Prof. Liu Zaifu (Honorary Professor of City University of Hong Kong )

Commentators：
Prof. Park Jae-woo
(Manager of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies of China Research Institute )
Mr. Zhang Da Peng (Chairman of Asian Reward Ltd.)

In Putonghua

25 th May 2008 (Sun) 3:00pm
Cultural Activities Hall, Shatin Town Hall, 1 Yuen Wo Road, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

Free Admission. Limited seats. Please register.

For registration:
•  Tel: 2609 7855 / 2609 7856
•  Fax: 2603 5141
(With name, contact number, email address and number of participants)
•  Mail: Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, The Chinese University of Hong Kong ,Shatin,N.T.,H.K.. (With name, contact number, email address and number of participants)

Deadline: 4 th May 2008

Enquiries： 2595 3197

Liu Zaifu, writer, critic, and scholar, was born in Nanan county of Fujian province in 1941. He graduated from Chinese Department of Xiamen University in 1963. Before he immigrated to the U.S. , he was the research fellow and the director of Literary Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Science and the Editor-in-chief of Literary Review . After he moved to the U.S. in 1989, he served as the visiting scholar and research fellow respectively at University of Chicago , University of Stockholm , University of Colorado at Boulder , City University of Hong Kong, Donghai University , and Zhongyang University . Currently he is the Honorary Professor at City University of Hong Kong and the Visiting Fellow at University of Colorado at Boulder . He has published 38 academic and literary books, such as The Theory of Aesthetic Thoughts on Lu Xun , On the Composite of Human Character , Tradition and Chinese , Theory of Chinese Literature , The Collection of Liu Zaifu's Prose Poetry , On Twenty-Five Human Kinds, Farewell to the Gods , Farewell to Revolution , Sin and Literature , Theory of Famous Modern Chinese Literary Figures , Theory of Gao Xingjian , Comprehending Dreams of the Red Chamber , Notes of A Floating Life . Prof. Liu has followed Gao Xingjian's work for 20 years.

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Exhibition
- New Works by Gao Xingjian 2007 - 2008

- An Exhibition of the Special Collection in CUHK Libraries:
Gao Xingjian: Literature and Art

New Works by Gao Xingjian 2007 - 2008
Presented by Alisan Fine Arts

Since 1994, Alisan Fine Arts has been representing Gao Xingjian in Hong Kong . The gallery organised Gao's first solo exhibition in 1996, and subsequently in 1998, 2002, 2004 in New York , and again in Hong Kong this year. Featuring 25 new ink paintings, this exhibition is the artist's fifth solo exhibition presented by the gallery. Gao's artworks use a language that is deeper than words. He describes his works that often recall landscapes and cosmic processes as shadows that have emerged from his deepest self and could not be rendered by anything else but ink. It is the spiritual quality of ink that brings Gao's works into the modern world.

The artist will be present at the opening on 22 nd May from 6:00pm to 7:30pm when Mr. Jean-Pierre Thebault, French Consul General of Hong Kong and Macau , will be inaugurating the exhibition. A catalogue of the exhibition is available.

22 . 05 – 11. 06. 2008
10:00am – 6:00pm (Closed on Sundays & public holidays)
Alisan Fine Arts
315 Prince's Building, 10 Chater Road , Central, Hong Kong
Free Admission.

Opening ceremony: Thursday 22 May 2008 6:00pm–7:30pm

Enquiries： 2526 1091

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An Exhibition of the Special Collection in CUHK Libraries:
Gao Xingjian: Literature and Art
Presented by University Library System, CUHK

The exhibition will display materials collected or donation received by the Gao Xingjian Repository in CUHK Libraries.  These materials include monographs, magazines, journal articles, photographs, manuscripts, posters and paintings.   The exhibits will especially include part of the manuscript of Soul Mountain , paintings donated by Dr. Gao, and the translations of Soul Mountain and One Man's Bible in different languages.

23. 05 – 08. 06. 2008
Time:
10:00am - 7:00pm (Mon - Sat)
1:00pm - 7:00pm (Sun)
Exhibition Hall, University Library, The Chinese University of Hong Kong ,
Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
Free Admission.

Opening ceremony: Friday 23 May 2008 2:00 pm

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International Symposium

Gao Xingjian,a Writer For His Culture,a Writer Against His Culture
Jointly Presented by French Centre for Research on Contemporary China and Hong Kong Drama Programme of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK

Gao Xingjian, who settled in France after 1989 and became the first Nobel Laureate for Literature to write in Chinese, has always cultivated a complex relationship with cultural identity. This conference, questioning the notions of national literature and intercultural aesthetics, will examine Gao Xingjian's unique attitude of distance and engagement with Chinese culture. The symposium is organized by the Hong Kong Drama Programme of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , which is well known for its organization of local and international drama symposia. The proceedings of the symposium will be published in the Vol. 8 of the Hong Kong Drama Review published by the Hong Kong Drama Programme.

28 th May – 30 th May 2008 (Wed –Thur) 9:00am–5:00pm
Cho Yiu Conference Hall, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong

Admission fee for local participants:
HKD 150/ session (includes one set of academic papers of the session)

Download Topics of the Presenting Academic Papers

Enquiries: 2609 7856 / 2609 7528

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Video Screenings

Gao Xingjian's Film Silhouette / Shadow and Play Snow in August Presented by Hong Kong Arts Centre

Silhouette / Shadow
France / 2006 / Colour & B/W / DVD / 84 mins
Directors: Gao Xingjian, Alain Melka, Jean-Louis Darmyn
In French with English subtitles

Silhouette / Shadow is a cinema-poem by Gao Xingjian, in which he explores the process of artistic creation. A man takes a walk in the city. Very soon, memories and imaginings emerge and he enters into a pure creative state, conjuring glimpses of an unfinished life. Situated between life and death, there are scenes of human relations, men and women, the individual and the group, childhood, nostalgia and war… . The solitary artist who is always seeking the meaning of emptiness and looking for an indefinite space, leads the audience to an immeasurably subtle and poetic film.

Snow in August
Taiwan / 2003 / Colour / DVD / 120 mins
In Putonghua with Chinese subtitles

“ Snow in August blends Eastern and Western cultures. In form, there are elements of Shakespearean and Greek tragedy, but in spirit, it embodies a uniquely Eastern sensibility.”—Gao Xingjian
Gao Xingjian directed the play in 2003 in Taiwan . Snow in August is based on the life of Huineng (AD 633-713), the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism in Tang Dynasty China . Packed with the myriad sights and sounds of both the Eastern and Western theatrical traditions, the play exudes wonder and mysticism. The many koan cases and the story of Huineng's enlightenment afford the audience fascinating vignettes of Gao's vision of life and existence an awareness of the void and the need for a personal peace with oneself.

Venue: Agnes b. CINEMA!, Hong Kong Arts Centre , 2 Harbour Road ,
Wanchai, Hong Kong

Free Admission by ticket. (Free seating, first-come-first-served)
To obtain tickets from 7 th April , please come to the following venues:
•  8/F., Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road , Wanchai, Hong Kong
(Office hours: Mondays to Fridays from 9:30am - 5:30pm .
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.)
Enquiries：2582 0200 / 2582 0287 / echiu@hkac.org.hk
•  Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (Office hours: Mondays to Fridays from 10:00am - 5:30pm.
Saturday from 10:00am - 12:30pm . Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.)
Enquiries：2696 1928 / jackhan@cuhk.edu.hk

One person per ticket, maximum of 4 tickets per screening per reservation.

Terms and Conditions :
•  One person per ticket regardless of age
•  Free seating, first-come-first-served
•  Programme is subject to change without prior notice.
•  There should be age restriction according to the Film Censorship Ordinance. The venue management may have the right to refuse admission if applicable.
•  To comply with the Censorship Ordinance, the venue management will decline admission by persons under the age of 18 to any screening of Category III films. Ticket holders may be required to show proof of age on demand by the venue management.
•  Organizers/ presenters reserve the right to make the final decision.

Enquiries: 2582 0287

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Performance

World Premiere: Of Mountains and Seas
Presented by Hong Kong Drama Programme of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK

According to Gao Xingjian, his intention in writing Of Mountains & Seas is to set the genre in order, and to restore the innocence and purity in Chinese mythology. The three main stories in the play are“Yi the Archer”, “The War between Yan Di and Huang Di” and “Yu the Great”. Through them, the audience is allowed a glimpse of Chinese cultural archetypes. Due to the play's complexity, Of Mountains & Seas has not been staged before. A carnival, free to ticket holders to the show, will begin 45 minutes before the performance.

Yi the Archer
Di Jun (Eastern Able Emperor) had ten sons, who were suns. When they decided to journey together across the sky, the people became concerned with ten glowing suns shining on earth. The heat from the suns was overwhelming and wild animals began to prey on humans. Yi, The Archer, was summoned to remedy the situation. Each time his arrow hit a sun, it fell to earth until there was one sun remaining in the sky. The people were grateful to Yi, but Di Jun was upset and banished Yi and his wife, Chang E, from heaven.

The War between Yan Di and Huang Di
Yan Di (Southern Flame Emperor) was old and weak. His general, Chi You warned him of the encroachment of the ambitious Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) but found the cowardly responses of Yan Di too much for him to swallow. So, he led his heroes to resist Huang Di. Huang Di used his Machiavellian ways to solicit the help of Ying Long, the winged dragon, and to obtain the skin of the Thunder Beast and the bone of the Giant Ox to make his war drum, thereby winning the war.

Yu the Great
An angry subject, Gong Gong, rammed into Incomplete Mountain , the celestial column, and caused widespread flooding in the land. Huang Di's grandson, Gun, was asked to regulate the waterways and control the flood. He tried doing so by stealing some Grow-Back soil from heaven. For this crime, he was executed by Zhu Rong, the Fire God. His son, Yu the Great, by killing Aide Willow, the nine-headed monster, completed his father's unfinished task. Yu ascended to the throne as the first emperor of the Ha Dynasty, a kingdom of men on earth.

Performance Information
30. 05 – 01. 06. 2008 (Fri – Sun) 7:45pm
New Asia Amphitheatre, New Asia College,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
(Shuttle bus service between the MTR University Station and the Concourse will be provided before and after the performance)

In Cantonese

Production Team

*By kind permission of HKAPA
**HK Acting Research Centre

Ticketing Information
Ticket Price: $280, $260 (CUHK Staff only)
(Half-priced tickets available for full-time students, disabled and senior citizens)
HK Ticketing applies a customer service fee to all tickets purchased via its network. This fee is additional to the face value of the ticket and is payable upon purchase of tickets.

Tickets available at the Box Offices of Hong Kong Ticketing:
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Academy's Landmark Heritage Campus – Bethanie, Fringe Club, Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre, AsiaWorld-Expo, Tom Lee Music Stores from April 18, 2008 .

CUHK staff and students can reserve tickets at Sir Run Run Shaw Hall in CUHK
before 9 th May, 2008 . (Enquiries：2609 7857 / 2609 7851)

Programme Enquiries: 2609 7855
Ticket Purchase Hotline: 31 288 288

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Festival Plus
- Talk:Way-faring Over Mountains and Seas – An introduction of Gao Xingjian's play Of Mountains and Seas

- Talk: On the English Translation and Production of Gao Xingjian's play, Of Mountains and Seas

- Book Launch

 
Talk: Way-faring Over Mountains and Seas – An introduction of Gao Xingjian's play Of Mountains and Seas
Presented by Hong Kong Drama Programme of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK

19 th April 2008 (Sat) 3pm - 5pm
Committee Room (North), 7/F Hong Kong City Hall High Block

In Cantonese

Speaker:
Dr. Cheung Ping Kuen (Head of Liberal Arts Studies, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts)

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Talk: On the English Translation and Production of Gao Xingjian's play, Of Mountains and Seas
Jointly presented by The Commercial Press (HK) Ltd. and
Hong Kong Drama Programme of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK

20 th April 2008 (Sun) 2pm – 4pm
Tsim Sha Tsui Book Centre, The Commercial Press (HK) Ltd.
AR 313, 2/F, Miramar Shopping Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon , H.K..

In Cantonese and English

Speakers:
Prof. Gilbert Fong Chee Fun (Translator of Of Mountains and Seas , Department of Translation, CUHK)

Mr. Hardy Tsoi Sik Cheong (Director of Of Mountains and Seas , Arts Administrator and Manager of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK)

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Book Launch

23 rd May 2008 (Fri) 2:30pm
Exhibition Hall, University Library, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

This book launch features Dr. Gao Xingjian's new book On Creation and the English translation of Of Mountain and Seas by Prof. Gilbert Fong. Published by Ming Pao Monthly, On Creation summaries Dr. Gao's views on literature. Of Mountain and Seas, published by The Chinese University Press, is the fifth play of Dr. Gao's translation into English.

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