Our perspective changes our personal connection with the object.

the vigil of debris - a waste discarding ritual

the vigil of debris is an event to “mourn” disposed and forgotten debris that will continue to exist as a reminder of us - a ritual to sensitize ourselves to the daily apathetic act of discarding waste, and a warning to be conscious of our unrealistic perception of recycling non-biodegradable waste. The performer is instructed to collect pieces of waste they produce and transform these items from personal possessions to totems. By re-evaluating these objects as instruments, the player is asked to interpret, explore, and even revere objects they would normally discard. The ritual, as a reflection, demonstrates the significance of the used item through the player’s interpretation of a series of proposed actions. Through realizing the performance on the collected debris and documenting the performer’s daily consumption of the plastic and disposable items, the vigil of debris urges performers and observers alike to rethink the necessity and use of these items, and how to be more thoughtful about not using them, reusing them, and looking for alternatives. 

Project commissioned by Sonic Ecology 2020, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble.  

Direction & Concept: Karen Yu
Performers and Collectors: Lawrence Lau & Samuel Chan
Image: Kenneth Leung
Sound: Amy Chan

Logs of the waste collected: thevigilofdebris.tumblr.com

Ritual One, performed by Lawrence Lau

Ritual Two, performed by Samuel Chan