Retina Maneuver - Ping-Hsiang Wang/ k*hole Karaoke

“Nobody knows that she’s a lonely girl And it’s a lonely world But she gon’ let it burn, baby, burn, baby” – ‘Girl on Fire’, Alicia Keys Waarom is a Taiwanese military reservist so fascinated by Alicia Keys’ hit ‘Girl on Fire’ – a gay anthem that he has sung countless times in karaoke bars? When ‘Girl on Fire’ is no longer just a pop song but a marching tune for soldiers going to battle, Ping-Hsiang Wang, a Berlin theater director from Taiwan, wonders if his fragile memories will be destroyed by the fire of war. ‘Retina Maneuver’ is a solo lecture-performance that stems from Ping-Hsiang Wangs’s inexplicable obsession with Alicia Keys’ pop song ‘Girl On Fire’. His frustration over the fact that he cannot remember where he is when the song comes out in 2012 drives him to dive into his digital archives. Eventually, Wang stumbles upon a photo that was accidentally uploaded to his Facebook page and finds himself in a military environment, passionately busy with bayonet exercises and shouting the command ‘kill’. The multimedia solo performance ‘Retina Maneuver’ is an in-depth exploration of the past thirteen years of the life of a young Taiwanese reservist. Central are his hopes, fears, and concern about the danger of war that threatens his fragile fatherland. At the same time, it is, however incredible it may sound, a queer love story against the background of the enormous uncertainties of the present, with the ghosts of violence and destruction constantly lurking. In his live construction of a visual monument that consists entirely of memories, Ping-Hsiang Wang simultaneously struggles with the very real possibility that all this can disappear in the blink of an eye by forces beyond his control. In collaboration with Corso & CC Brugge. Schouwburg Kortrijk is a proud UiTPAS partner. Save UiTPAS points during the performance. Are you entitled to a ticket at an increased allowance? Keep your UiTPAS at hand and book your ticket online or by phone at 056 23 98 55. You can also visit our ticket counter. Be sure to bring your UiTPAS with you.