Sammy Chien on Exploring Spirituality Through Art, Dance and Technology, and Virtual Performances

Sammy Chien (Chimerik) is a Taipei born, Vancouver based first generation Taiwanese-Canadian immigrant and queer artist-of-colour (He/She/They). He is an interdisciplinary artist, director, performer, researcher and mentor who works with film, sound art, new media, performance, movement, dance, theatre and spiritual practice. He has studied film (BFA Honours) at Simon Fraser University and developed an expertise in electroacoustic music and digital technology in performance environment.

After learning real-time performance softwares from Troika Ranch (NYC/Berlin) he continues his deep interest in interdisciplinary collaborations and forges deep connections between image, sound, and movement. He has collaborated visually, aurally and conceptually in numerous multi-disciplinary projects which have exhibited across Canada, Western Europe, and Asia including Centre Pompidou(Paris), Museum of Contemporary Arts Taipei, National Centre for the Performing Arts(Beijing),  Hellerau: European Centre for the Arts Dresden.

His recent collaboration with Beijing Modern Dance Company includes working with artists such as Wong Kar Wai’s Cinematographer Christopher Doyle, the Father of Rock in China Cui Jian and having lunch with Ai Wei Wei. Sammy has also been involved in research or mentorship in projects that focus on the integration between art, science, technology and spirituality as well as engaging with various community groups such as social activists, poverty survivors, mental health, spiritual healing, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ2+, indigenous, multicultural background, QTBIPOC and youths.

Sammy is the official instructor of Isadora (one of the few people with this qualification in Canada) and Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Chimerik似不像 collective.

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