MULTIMEDIA

ARTS Moon offers sad reminder of tech’s terrible legacy

by Charlie Smith

MULTIMEDIA

I SWALLOWED A MOON MADE OF IRON

Composed, directed, coproduced, and performed by Njo Kong Kie and set to the poetry of Xu Lizhi. Livestreamed on February 4 at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. No remaining performances

d IT’S UNUSUAL FOR a dead Chinese poet’s words to take centre stage and star in a solo piano performance shown in Canada, supplemented with video imagery. But when that poet is factory worker Xu Lizhi, who killed himself at the age of 24 in 2014—and the pianist, Music Picnic artistic producer Njo Kong Kie, is summoning his spirit—it makes perfect sense.

Njo’s song cycle, I swallowed a moon made of iron, is a tribute to Xu and countless other migrant workers who provide amenities for our digital lives. Xu was among the hundreds of thousands who have toiled in Foxconn’s facilities in Shenzhen, China, making electronic devices for U.S. tech giants.

Njo’s compositions, set to Xu’s haunting and heartbreaking poetry, captured the horror of young lives entombed on an assembly line. At times urgent and intense—reflecting the pace of factory life—and on other occasions spare and plaintive, Njo’s mastery of mood burst forth through his music. His mournful voice, pained facial expressions, and depressed body language illustrated the poet’s painful existence. And Njo’s minimalist and compelling pieces ensured that Xu’s words were never overshadowed. Many of Xu’s poems—carrying soul-crushing titles such as “A heart interred by life” and “As I lay dying”—were shown on an unadorned wall. At times, the visual imagery consumed Njo, demonstrating how Xu himself disappeared in his dilapidated dorm. Ashes sometimes crossed the screen, representing his cremation. This was melancholia on a grand scale. But there were moments when Njo snatched a bit of joy, such as when singing “Mother”, a wistful 2011 Xu poem that recalls his village life in Guangdong province. The colourful rural imagery stood in sharp contrast to his bleak life in Shenzhen. For anyone who knows a person who has committed suicide, it’s excruciating to watch. No doubt, Njo would appreciate it if you think about that the next time you check your latest text messages. g

Music Picnic artistic producer Njo Kong Kie occupies the soul of deceased Chinese poet and factory worker Xu Lizhi in the haunting I swallowed a moon made of iron. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

DJ KOOKUM, SIERRA BAKER & MISSY D

FEB 19 - 8PM

ONLINE LIVE FROM PERFORMANCE WORKS ON GRANVILLE ISLAND

An Online Lecture and Q&A with Renowned Folklorist Jack Zipes

Distinguished expert Jack Zipes will exhume and examine little-known anti-fascist fairy tales and their creators from the first half of the twentieth century. Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Filmed Lecture at 5 pm • Live Moderated Q&A at 6 pm A Facebook Watch Event - FREE

Registration and Info: https://miscellaneousproductions.ca/productions/pandemic-projects/