Shadow Play

This scenography, bringing together theater and cinema, stems from a passion for paper art, shadow puppetry, and storytelling. It was after the creation of the MoonGARDENs in 2012 that we came up with the idea of taking shadow theater out of its spheres and exposing it to the open air. Shadow Play was presented for the first time in Shanghai at the Museum of Modern Art in 2018. For this performance, we recreated the city of Shanghai with its parks, bridges, and buildings, but this installation is completely customizable! The show lasts 5 minutes and is followed by 20 minutes of interactivity, during which the audience is invited to use the light from their mobile phones to discover the sounds of the city. The set then transforms into a giant garden of paper cutouts, and the public can reactivate moments from the film and listen to the city's sounds. Here is the story of this Shadow Play… At nightfall, a man living in Shanghai returns home. He crosses the bustling city and a park before arriving in his residential neighborhood. As soon as the door is open, he goes up to his workshop, puts on his gear, grabs a pair of scissors, and begins to cut. What he cuts are small beings. When placed in the scenery, their shadows come to life and allow them to invade the city. To run, play around, climb on the buildings… But, interrupted by a knock at the door, they freeze. The landlord wants his rent… Cowering in the dark, they wait for his departure. And as he walks away, a wave of euphoria sweeps over them. For once freed, they will use paint to submerge the sleeping city.