Art of the Rehearsal

rɪˈhəːs(ə)l/
noun
1. a practice or trial performance of a play or other work for later public performance.
2. the action or process of rehearsing.

Where the theatre collapses is the place where “rehearsal” starts. “Rehearsal” is not a formal performance. Repeatable and likened to an ephemeral experiment, it can turn any social space into a theatre and vice versa. During practice, the theatre is no longer the domain of seeing and being seen, or a performance space that excludes real-life reality. It is rather a space subjected to constant self-immersion, interruption and deconstruction. Rehearsing finds itself at the crossroads between the onstage and offstage, theatre and real life.

Art of the Rehearsal is an immersive three-channel multimedia video installation by multidisciplinary artist Sarah Choo Jing. This panoramic artwork depicts traditional dancers across various cultures practicing along the back lanes of cultural districts in the city. Reflecting on the rigorous and intense training behind the performance, Choo seeks to bring out the consistent determination of the performers. The emphasis here is on the process rather than on the outcome.