Animation meets shadows in this family-friendly show about conservation.

Multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek invites audience members of all ages to come journey with her into her dreamlike World of Animation. Combining animation and shadow silhouette, the highly accessible work activates the imagination as we view her interactions with animation across a small screen, beginning by measuring out a line to represent the timeline of what she will be doing across the one hour duration. The screen is indeed rather small, and can initially be hard to focus on in such a big space, especially for audience members at the back, but also forces one to concentrate and keep our eyes peeled for what’s happening throughout the show.

Only after she retreats into her ‘world does the performance begin proper, showcasing various narratives for the show ahead and transport us to a new world. The scenarios are vivid, where we see her shadow clambering out of an active volcano, like a phoenix from the ashes, or how bubbles underwater become atoms and molecules, as if showing us how there are so many invisible bonds beyond what the eyes can see, all in harmony with lifeforms such as jellyfish.

Managing to burst out from the water onto land, she takes us to a sandy beach before entering a green jungle, portrayed with intricate details to represent an entire landscape, layered and believable. In a way, what Matreyek is telling us is how the world is essentially in our hands, and it’s up to us to shape its future. Asteroids rain down onto the scene, and their impact reminds us of atomic mushroom clouds, perhaps a subtle reminder of the wars still happening all around us.

As much as there is no hard and fast ‘message’, it is easy to form our own interpretations of each scene. Watching the ocean swell, the waves ebbing and flowing, while greenery is deforested, we get the sense that our relationship with nature is fraying, while industrial buildings grow and replace these natural landscapes. Things get a little absurd as her shadow sprouts wings, and she transforms into a plane, then a spaceship, while what appear to be missiles are fired off, once again another reminder of human propensity for destruction.

But in the wake of destruction comes a chance to grow again, as we see views of corals and greenery returning. She draws the timeline again, and now, we examine the evolution of animals, against a rather ominous soundtrack while the habitats are cleared, once again emphasising deforestation and the way humans infringe upon these animal homes, with highways and other infrastructures to support the presence of many cars. The constant mining of fossil fuels seems to cause the world to bleed, and we think of this vicious cycle as we wind up at the landfill, doomed to repeat all this once again. How much pollution can we take before we suffocate?

With these thoughts in mind, it seems the future is in peril, and with such powerful imagery, it only serves to convince us that we must act now to prevent disaster from happening, an urgent message of saving the planet that comes through. One way or another, we have to open our eyes to all the pain the planet is in, and above all, have hope that we can and will make significant enough change to save us all. In viewing this work, we are exposed to the twin perspectives of an innocent child and an adult – it is a universal work that evokes a plethora of emotions, even without dialogue, as we form our own interpretations and then hopefully, start an all-important discussion with those around us, about the true impact of our actions on the world.

Miwa Matreyek’s World of Animation ran from 20th to 23rd February 2024 at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre. More information available here

For more information about the Hong Kong Arts Festival, visit hk.artsfestival.org.