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texture of absence

Carmen Yih in collaboration with Jiawen (Wendy) Feng (JiaJia). Supported by Platform Arts Geelong.

When someone or something exits a space, the space does not return to what it once was, but rather a negative state - defined by the absence of something that was once there. In the vacuum that remains - is an unlikely opportunity for growth. 

In Texture of Absence, two dancers explore the physical manifestation of absence to more broadly examine how humans experience loss. Drawing from their relationships with identity, memory, and people, Yih and Feng retrace the multi-layered and multi-generational impacts of loss, uncovering the confusion, turmoil, and unexpected beauty that arrives in its wake.

Texture of Absence aims to reduce the isolation that comes with loss by encouraging transparent conversations surrounding loss of memory, loved ones and beyond. Texture of Absence uses dance with real-time interactive audio to create a soundscape that morph with the dancers’ movement, assigning an auditory texture to absence. Using interactive sound, we hope to create an immersive multisensory experience that allows audience members to be active citizens of absence’s surreal world.

In a social milieu fraught with loss of various forms - loss of identity, belonging, life - Texture of Absence is a quiet ode to the complexity of loss.


Cred. Jeff Busby

The first iteration consists of a performance work 11 - 12 July 2025 and monthly Saturday workshops working with local community residents to explore meditative, gentle movement surrounding the theme of memory.

In partnership with Platform Arts Geelong, during the residency period, Carmen and Wendy are running a series of monthly movement workshops sharing the developmental process and activities for Texture of Absence.

Tickets: https://platformarts.org.au/events/texture-of-absence-workshop

Our sessions will be loosely themed around 'MEMORY'. Here is a sneak-peak of each session focus:
  1. Feb - share a story, tell a story (bring & share memory)
  2. March - rituals, comfort, home: festive season (protecting the memory)
  3. April - exploring with fabric (touching the memory)
  4. May - Party; catharsis; energy, sunny edition (playing with memory)
  5. June - Reconnecting with layers of memory
  6. July - Shifting perspectives of memory


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I work on the unceded sacred lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. This land is and always will be Aboriginal land - sovereignty was never ceded. Pay the rent.