Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Ballet and Studio Wayne McGregor Join Forces in Interdisciplinary Knowledge Transfer with Avant-Garde Art Tech x Dance Choreographic Installation at Venice’s Biennale Danza 2025
HONG KONG, Aug. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) and Studio Wayne McGregor (SWM) proudly present the avant-garde choreographic installation Wayne McGregor: On The Other Earth, which had its world premiere as part of Biennale Danza, the 19th International Festival of Contemporary Dance of La Biennale di Venezia from 25 July to 2 August 2025 in Venice.
Professor Sarah Kenderdine, Visiting Professor of Department of Computer Science at HKBU; Professor Sir Wayne McGregor, Artistic Director of Biennale Danza; Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU; Miss Fiona Li, Deputy Representative, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels; Ms Heidi Lee, Executive Director of Hong Kong Ballet; Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of Academy of Visual Arts at HKBU; Mr Septime Webre, Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet
The installation will also be presented at Venice Immersive (“The Best of”), the XR Extended Reality section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival from 27 August to 6 September 2025. The presentations in Venice will be followed by the UK premiere from October 2025 and at Tai Kwun in Hong Kong in 2026. Through this captivating cross-cultural and cross-sectoral collaboration, Hong Kong demonstrates vibrant cultural leadership while advancing global artistic innovation, with HKBU and HKB at the forefront of knowledge transfer excellence.
This pioneering cultural performance leverages the immersive nVis installation developed by Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of the Academy of Visual Arts and Director of the Visualization Research Centre at HKBU, which is funded by the HKSAR Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) under the HK$35.4 million “Future Cinema Systems: Next-Generation Art Technologies” project.
On The Other Earth, the world’s first post-cinematic choreographic installation, refracts, evolves and reimagines dance performance in a startlingly original new form of experience set within Professor Jeffrey Shaw and Visiting Professor of the Department of Computer Science at HKBU Professor Sarah Kenderdine’s radically immersive panoramic, 360-degree stereoscopic, 12K LED, 26-million-pixel nVis screen, where 3D imagery is experienced within an enveloping, large-scale cylindrical architecture. Combining dance – connecting in close contact with the hyperreal dancers of Company Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet, choreography, digital imaging, spatialised sound, and artificial intelligence, Professor Sir Wayne McGregor transports the audiences in a thought-provoking, otherworldly encounter.
To celebrate this successful collaboration, a Hong Kong reception with the theme ‘Pulse of the Pearl: Transcending Avant-Grade with Technology and Knowledge Transfer‘ was held on 21 July at SMAC San Marco Art Centre in Venice. Esteemed speakers Artistic Director of Biennale Danza Professor Sir Wayne McGregor; HKBU Interim Chief Innovation Officer Professor Terence Lau; HKB Artistic Director Mr Septime Webre and Professor Jeffrey Shaw; led the audience in an inspiring discussion on how dance, art tech and knowledge transfer will shape the future of performance. They also explored Hong Kong’s role in international partnerships and the city’s potential to contribute to global arts and culture.
The Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO) in Brussels and ITC supported the reception, which was attended by cultural industry leaders, field experts, and government officials including Miss Fiona Li, HKETO Brussels Deputy Representative and Mr Luca Fegatelli, Director of Regional Directorate of Culture, Youth and Family Policies, Equal Opportunities, and Civil Service, Lazio Region of Italy.
Miss Fiona Li, Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, remarked: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has set a clear vision to position Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. We are committed to nurturing a diverse talent pool, enriching arts and creative content and fostering a dynamic and inclusive cultural ecosystem. Events like this do more than showcase artistic innovation – they highlight Hong Kong’s commitment to global collaboration, knowledge transfer and the commercialisation of Art Tech.”
Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, shared: “We are proud to showcase our achievements on the global stage. HKBU has long been a cradle of innovation and creativity, and this groundbreaking performance exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of art and technology. Showcasing Hong Kong’s homegrown performance on the world stage highlights our distinctive creative vision and demonstrates how we contribute fresh perspectives to global arts.”
Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of HKBU, said: “The Future Cinema Systems project deliverables were previously showcased at the Hong Kong International Airport through the ‘FLY ME THERE’ exhibition. Together with our prestigious partners, HKBU is redefining the future of art tech with this On The Other Earth project that follows — transforming ideas and expertise into world-class performance. As On The Other Earth embarks on its global tour, it will be a solid demonstration of the power of transdisciplinary innovation and knowledge transfer, one that transcends geography and culture.”
Ms Heidi Lee, Executive Director of HKB shared: “This project has opened up exciting possibilities for international exchange, allowing us to explore new artistic languages that stretch far beyond our traditional imagination of ballet. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels for their generous support of our participation in this remarkable journey. As Hong Kong Ballet continues to grow as a cultural ambassador for our beloved city, we are proud to bring even more of our unique productions abroad this year, including to New York, Seoul, and Shanghai.”
Mr Septime Webre, Artistic Director of HKB added: “This groundbreaking collaboration brings together the best of international innovation and artistry, highlighting Hong Kong Ballet’s commitment to pushing creative boundaries and fostering cultural exchange. We are honoured to be collaborating with Wayne McGregor and Jeffrey Shaw, two artists of international renown, and to be part of this transformative experience. In On The Other Earth, our dancers, together with the dancers of Company Wayne McGregor, bring their extraordinary artistry and versatility to this fusion of ballet, contemporary dance and cutting-edge technology.”
Mr Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macaosaid: “HKBU and HKB made an exceptional contribution to this year’s Venice Biennale Danza. This cross-cultural collaboration with SWM highlights Hong Kong’s creative excellence and demonstrates how partnerships can drive innovation and create mutual opportunities for growth.”
As the only Affiliated University of the Biennale Architettura 2025 from Asia, HKBU also participated in the Biennale Sessions and organised the “Pioneering Art Tech: New Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Education and Media Production” session on 19 July. Professor Andreas Kratky, HKBU Academy of Visual Arts Director, and Professor Shin Dong Kim, Professor of the Academy of Film at HKBU, shared their insights during the sessions on “Merging Tradition and Future: Interdisciplinary Research and Education in Art and Technology” and “Changing Landscape of Media Production in the Time of AI Technology” and sparked insightful exchanges with the audience.
HKBU adopts a transdisciplinary approach to reshape the arts and culture through its strong foundation in both arts and sciences. By driving applications, encouraging exchange and fostering collaborations, the University leverages knowledge transfer to scale new heights and solidify Hong Kong’s status as a leading international arts and cultural hub.
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FULL CREDITS Wayne McGregor: ON THE OTHER EARTH
DIRECTION and CHOREOGRAPHY Wayne McGregor
nVis 360 3D EMBODIED VISUALIZATION CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES Jeffrey Shaw, Sarah Kenderdine
CINEMATIC DESIGN 3D 360 ANIMATION and EDITING Ravi Deepres, Theresa Baumgartner, Jeffrey Shaw with Luke Unsworth, Paul Bourke, J.Him, Paul Nichola, Chris Parks, Carlos Serrano, Chris Stephens, and Nice Monster.tv
SOUND COMPOSITION INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN (Powered by Bronze)
Foley Artist Grégory Vincent
nVis 3D 360 TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT, HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Jeffrey Shaw, Sarah Kenderdine Vack Cheung, Davor Vincze, Ching Lee, Charisse So, Sum Wong, Alejandro Rodriguez, Paul Bethge, Leoson Cheong, Marlen Runz, Joseph Chan, Jeff Zhang, Victor Wong, Eman Tse
PRODUCTION Rebecca Marshall, Svet Lapcheva, Tobias Tang
PERFORMED BY COMPANY WAYNE MCGREGOR AND HONG KONG BALLET
COMPANY WAYNE MCGREGOR Rebecca Bassett-Graham, Naia Bautista, Kevin Beyer, Julia Costa, Salvatore De Simone, Chia-Yu Hsu, Jayla Jacobs, Hannah Joseph, Jasiah Marshall, Salomé Pressac and Mariano Zamora González
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR, COMPANY WAYNE MCGREGOR Odette Hughes
HONG KONG BALLET Luis Cabrera, Jeremy Chan, Albert Gordon, Vanessa Lai Nok Sze, Nana Sakai, Gouta Seki, Sun Jia, Wang Qingxin
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, HONG KONG BALLET Septime Webre
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR, HONG KONG BALLET Yuh Egami
COSTUME DESIGN Ilaria Martello
JEWELLERY DESIGN Hannah Martin
Co-produced by Hong Kong Baptist University; Hong Kong Ballet; Studio Wayne McGregor, London
Co-commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia, Danza; Somerset House, London; Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, Hong Kong
Supported by: Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong; EPFL, Switzerland; Hong Kong Baptist University Visualization Research Centre; Arts Council England; Bloomberg; Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement (UK); The Space (UK)
With additional support from: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels
Thank you to Marian Gaultney; Birmingham City University; Hong Kong Baptist University Motion Capture and Visualization Laboratory; The Peninsula Hotels – The Peninsula Hong Kong; Hong Kong Design Institute; The Roundhouse, London
PREMIERE DATE AND VENUE 24th July 2025, La Biennale di Venezia, Danza 2025, Venice, Italy
About Hong Kong Baptist University
As one of Asia’s finest institutions of higher education, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is committed to nurturing future-shaping talents, providing them with a broad-based, transdisciplinary and creative education, as well as offering a diverse range of programmes spanning the arts, business, Chinese medicine, communication, social sciences, science, technology and sport. To tap into the strengths of the University, HKBU has established four overarching research clusters in key areas of excellence that cover Creative Media and Practice, Health and Drug Discovery, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, and Humanities and Cultures, translating its research excellence into tangible benefits, with positive impact for the community and the development of Hong Kong, the nation, the region and the world.
About Hong Kong Ballet
One of Asia’s premier ballet companies, Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) is internationally recognised as a vibrant arts institution that represents Hong Kong’s unique character. Established in 1979 and led by Artistic Director Septime Webre since 2017, HKB has a dynamic repertoire performed by nearly 50 dancers from all over the globe, with celebrated re-stagings of the classics, neoclassical masterworks and original ballets created for HKB and about Hong Kong.
HKB stands out as a dynamic Hong Kong cultural ambassador, sharing its unique repertoire and style with audiences in Europe, North America, Mainland China and Asia. With over 50 international tours since its founding, this year HKB will have performed or presented immersive works in Macau, Venice, New York, London, Seoul and Shanghai. HKB maintains the Hong Kong Academy of Ballet, a professionally-oriented ballet school, as well as a full schedule of award-winning community programmes and crossover collaborations throughout Hong Kong to ensure ballet is accessible to all.
Studio Wayne McGregor is the creative engine for choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor. It encompasses his ensemble of world-class dancers, Company Wayne McGregor; a portfolio of international commissions and artistic collaborations across genres including dance, visual arts, VR, film, fashion, theatre, and opera; a highly specialized programme of creative learning for individuals and communities; artist development initiatives; and collaborative research projects across the interface of the arts with science, technology and academic research.
Studio Wayne McGregor has an unparalleled reputation for transformative approaches to how dance is taught, learned and talked about. Learning and engagement projects are carefully devised to reflect the professional artistic processes that McGregor uses with his own company in the studio, ensuring that all who participate in our projects experience cutting edge, high quality practice. The focus always lies in empowering individuals to develop their own creative skills, and all of the programmes are underpinned by continued scientific research into movement and creativity, innate human properties which have been a fascination in McGregor’s creative thinking for more than three decades.
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