Lu Yang - Doku: Live Alone, Die Alone
Live Motion Capture Performance
ACMI, Melbourne

MetaObjects worked with Lu Yang to present a new iteration of Lu Yang’s live motion capture performance at ACMI Melbourne in March 2022. Doku: Live Alone, Die Alone features Lu Yang’s digital human avatar that is reincarnated into the six realms of the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth: Heaven, Asura (Jealous gods), Human, Animal, Hungry Ghosts and Hell. The movements of dancers Harrison Hall and Imanuel Dado animate the 3D avatars displayed on screen with a DJ mix by Cloudy Ku.

MetaObjects developed the motion capture programme and visual effects in the environments controlled using an Xbox controller by Sam Mcgilp with the hell scene 3D design by Extreme John.

The performance was commissioned by Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Arts Centre Melbourne, Asia TOPA and Exhibitionist, in collaboration with curator Mathew Spisbah.

Watch the full performance on ACMI ›

About the artist

Lu Yang is an artist who works across video, installation, animation, performance, motion capture and games. Lu Yang graduated with an MA in New Media Art from the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou. Lu Yang’s work explores existential issues about the nature of life through references to Chinese medicine, neuroscience, popular culture and religion.

Lu Yang has presented solo exhibitions at Zabludowicz Collection, London (2022), ARoS Aarhus Art Museum (2021), Spiral, Tokyo (2018), M Woods Museum, Beijing (2017), and many others. Lu Yang was selected for the Chinese Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale and has featured new work in The Milk of Dreams exhibition at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Lu Yang won the BMW Art Journey award in 2019 and was selected as Deutsche Bank's Artist of the Year in 2022.