◦ 陰晴圓缺之於自負盈虧
ebb is to flow as wax is to wane, 2026
at ydp
commissioned by ydp, this iteration of ebb is to flow as wax is to wane takes on a new form: wax cast entirely in black, built intuitively and spontaneously by chen and one assistant over five days, hanging from the ceiling as a dense grid of blackened strands above a floor scattered with drums, cymbals, and audio equipment.
on 17 january 2026, the installation carried its life into a six-hour durational performance, open from 12pm to 6pm, with the audience free to drop in and out at any point. chen was joined by drummer, composer, and music facilitator kai chareunsy, who works across jazz, free improvisation, electronic, and folk music, using sensory percussion to manipulate and amplify the sound of burning candles into a live score.
over the six hours, chen moved slowly through the room, building, lighting, and blowing out sections of the wax structure as the space gradually shifted from daylight into near-total darkness, the two performers working the room into an almost hypnotic state. the performance ended at nightfall, when chen extinguished the final flame — by which point the structure built up over the preceding five days had almost entirely disappeared.
credits:
the installation and the live performance is part of the living, rehearsing… programme curated by zhuo mengting, in collaboration with ydp curators erin li and billy tang
installation built with assistance from cameron griffin
videos taken by ali mohamed and mariana lima mateus
sound recorded by andrej bako
sound edited by kai chareunsy
image taken by hsi-lun chen
special thanks to yan du for commissioning the piece.
and to ydp team eleanor dobson, cindy ziyun huang, fiona ye and jun shen for the support
