Asia-Europe Cultural Festival: 2024 Edition | Programme announced!

The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival is a public arts festival that celebrates the artistic diversity of Asia and Europe and promotes dialogue and exchange amongst artists from the two regions. Presented by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) since 2018, the Festival offers a diverse range of programmes including performances, exhibitions and roundtables, showcasing the best contemporary art forms and practices.

In the last 6 years, the project has served as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe, fostering artistic collaborations and igniting connections between two continents known for their diversity and creativity. 

The nature of the Festival is to travel yearly between Asia and Europe. This allows for the involvement of a wider network of partners and the connection with local communities in each city/host country. For its 6th edition in 2024, the Festival will be presented in Italy for the first time, as a “festival in the festival”, alongside Oriente Occidente Dance Festival. 

This year’s programme will allow audiences in Italy to experience a variety of events spanning dance, video art, multidisciplinary art installation and music by artists from China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom and Viet Nam.

The Festival will open on 30 August with the video art exhibition SOUND OF X a collection of cities’ video soundscapes by artists from Asia and Europe. Without words, solely on the basis of sounds and local acoustics, these five short videos will transport the audience into diverse urban and cultural identities, across different regions and localities.

The first performing art event will be on 31 August with the open studio of Last Portrait, by Ashley Ho (Singapore) and Domenik Naue (Germany) mentored by artist Pietro Marullo (Italy). The 3 artists have been working together since February 2024 with online sessions and two onsite residency periods in Indonesia and Italy to research how memory and cultural traditions are related to loss, detachment and migration.

On 1 September the festival will travel to nearby Trento at MUSE Science Museum, for the opening of the collaborative community-engaged art installation Biomodd [TTO15]  by the international collective SEADS (Space Ecologies Art and Design). Over a four-day workshop (28-31 August), local volunteers are invited to co-create an experimental system in which recycled computers and living ecosystems coexist and mutually reinforce one another. The resulting interactive artwork will be exhibited in the galleries and the audience will be able to play with the custom-built computer games running on the computers receiving sensor data feeds from the living organisms. 

Following the unveiling of the installation to the public, the Festival will present a roundtable discussion, titled BREAKING BOUNDARIES: Rethinking Art, Technology, and Sustainability for the Future, bringing together artists, scientists and cultural professionals in conversation on the topic of art, technology, and advocacy.

Over the years, the Festival has consistently emphasised the significance of preserving intangible cultural heritage by showcasing a variety of art forms that blend traditional and contemporary practices. As a result, it is fitting that the Festival will end with two performances that unite heritage and contemporary expressions in music and dance.

On 1 September, in the stunning spaces of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (MART), two music ensembles, Siong Leng (Singapore) and Tempo Reale (Italy), will come together in the concert BRIDGE, bonding Nanyin Chinese traditional music with electronic music and sound arts.

The Festival culminating event will be on 3 September, showcasing the contemporary dance performance The Rite of Spring by Seeta Patel. Drawing from the traditional Bharatanatyam classical form, the award-winning choreographer crafts a compelling interpretation of the iconic piece bridging the intricate rhythmic footwork, geometric and dynamic movements of Indian classical dance with Western music.

In a world where boundaries continue to exist despite technological advancements, the Festival stands out as a beacon of artistic unity, transcending geographies and language barriers to bring Asia and Europe closer.

Visit Oriente Occidente's website to book event tickets today!

The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival Pass is also available HERE. The Pass includes tickets for Last Portrait, BRIDGE and The Rite of Spring.

Stay tuned for the Festival booklet release soon.

INFO: E culture@asef.org | T (+65) 6874 9754

EVENTS CALENDAR

	30 August - 7 September 2024 *Sound of X* Video Art Exhibition Biblioteca Tartarotti, Rovereto, Italy

	Saturday, 31 August 2024 *Last Portrait* Contemporary Dance MOM Officina, Rovereto, Italy

	1 - 7 September 2024 *Biomodd [TT015]* Art Installation MUSE Science Museum, Trento, Italy

	Sunday, 1 September 2024 *BREAKING BOUNDARIES: Rethinking Art, Technology, and Sustainability for the Future* Roundtable MUSE Science Museum, Trento, Italy

	Sunday, 1 September 2024 *BRIDGE* Music Mart - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rovereto, Italy

	Tuesday, 3 September 2024 The Rite of Spring Contemporary Dance Teatro Zandonai, Rovereto, Italy

The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival is organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), funded by the European Union, in partnership with Oriente Occidente, with the support of the National Arts Council Singapore.