Artists

Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang

Li Li-chin

Li Li-chin is a sheng soloist, composer, improviser, and performer, Li has been working between Taiwan and Europe in recent years. She is an expert in applying sheng to all forms of art, including various music genres, body movements, and site-specific creations. Currently, she actively expands the diversity and roles of instrumental performance. Li has worked with Ensemble Cairn in Paris, Ensemble LINEA in Strasberg, Lapland Chamber Orchestra in Finland, and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. In her experimental field of expertise, the artist has been selected for various artist residency programs, including IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, Cité Internationale des Arts and Centre National de la Danse in France, as well as the Asian Cultural Council and the Farm Music Institute in the United States.

Artist
Statement.


During the residency, I had the opportunity to appreciate the works of Belgian visual artist Miet Warlop. This experience opened up a new direction for my shows. I realized that a musician’s performance is not limited to sound alone. It can also visually extend the performative aspects of the body and explore a wider range of behaviors within a space. This led me to contemplate the shift between “musician and musical instrument” and “artist and musical instrument,” as well as the connection between my conscious mind and the performing space. I hope to find answers through my performances.

The buildings at Cité Internationale des Art are uniquely interconnected. Inspired by the 6 adjacent artist studios, I created “When the Sound Becomes an Invitation.” This artwork uses sound as a means of invitation. I moved through the “homes” of several hundred people, traversing different floors and buildings. While playing the sheng, I walked, climbed stairs, and popped up by the windows. Using sound as a signal, I wandered through the spaces, conveying the message that “things exist even if they are unseen.” This theme resonated with the COVID-19 pandemic, when people communicated and sang to each other from their windows, which became a mirror stage and a crucial link to the outside world.

During my stay at Cité, I had the opportunity to meet musicians and artists from around the world. Collaborating with them, I gained a deeper appreciation for how culture influences creative thinking and diverse forms of expression. The most valuable experience was participating in body training courses designed specifically for musicians by French flutist and body performer Elsa Marquet Lienhart, French educator and body performer Yves March, and French choreographers and educators Denise Namura and Michael Bugdahn. These courses have allowed me to approach music and movement in a more scientific manner.

I thank the Ministry of Culture for helping me discover a larger world and different aspects of myself. This opportunity has prompted me to reflect deeply and seek out breakthroughs. It will be a long and essential journey that demands perseverance, and I feel fortunate to have been given such a promising start.

Author: Li Li-chin
Edited: Brix

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