Social Dive (International)

A Parade for the Paraders (Tokyo)

Kray Chen

＜Tokyo Biennale 2020 SOCIAL DIVE Artist-in-Residence Projects＞

“A Parade for the Paraders” is a series of collaborative performances conceived to explore the nature of band music, muscle-memories and the affective basis of the military-entertainment complex. Working with ex-musicians from school bands, the performance investigates the memories and emotions lying latent within the trained bodies, and their relation to the syntax of military music and movements. Through its nostalgia, the project celebrates the precision and harmony of these performances, and at the same time, reflects on our deep relationship with militarism, its devices of conditioning and activation, and how militarism, music, games, fashion, entertainment and history are intricately intertwined in culture.

(As of March 2020)

1-3: “A Parade for the Paraders” 2018

Artist

Kray Chen (Artist)

Kray Chen (b.1987) is a visual artist working in film, performance and installations. Kray is fascinated with the body politic and looks at the echoes of ideology and biopower through its behaviours, habits and rituals. He has presented at Art Encounters Biennial 2019, Singapore Biennale 2019, Bangkok Art Biennale (2018, Bangkok), NTU-CCA Singapore (2017, Singapore), FRAC Des Pays De La Loire in France (2015, Loire), Art Stage and Singapore International Film Festival (2016, Singapore). He is the recipient of the 2017 National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award. He lives and works in Singapore.

Photo by artist