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Wen Liu

Wen Liu is a multidisciplinary composer and media artist who is best known for her innovative and experimental work that seamlessly blends music, visuals, dance, theater, and various interdisciplinary art forms to create immersive and interactive experiences. Her work is driven by a deep passion for exploring the intersection of science, technology, and multidisciplinary storytelling.

 

She is the founder and artistic director of the multidisciplinary festival for contemporary music and art: M.A.R.S. (Music & Arts ReSound). And the Music+Art+Science+Technology collective Studio M.A.R.S. (Music Art Research Science), with the goal to explore and create innovative multimedia storytelling, immersive music theater designs, and hybrid forms of music theater performance that seamlessly integrate science and technology.

 

Studio M.A.R.S.’s first music theater project: a live participatory XR opera titled "Speculum Maius", premiered at the Kunstmuseum Bonn in December 2022 in collaboration with Theater Bonn. The opera merges live multiplayer AR & VR technology with audience engagement to create an immersive experience. 

Currently, the studio is focused on incorporating advanced XR and AI technologies into opera storytelling and composition, while also exploring ways to enhance audience engagement.

 

Wen graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor and a Master of Arts in Music Composition from the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, and pursued a Ph.D. in Music Composition at University of California, San Diego.

She has received several awards and honors,  including the winner of S+T+ARTS ReSilence EU Artists in Residence; Ö1 Talentebörse-Kompositionspreis Austria; the Austria Federal Staatsstipendium; the City of Vienna Musikstipendium; the Fellowship of European Music Accelerator; the Fellowship of the Goethe Institut ‘AI to Amplify’; the Francisco Escudero International Composition Competition; the International Composer's Competition New Note; the Förderungspreis for Music from the City of Vienna, and the Theodor Körner Prize under the patronage of former Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer. 

 

Wen is particularly interested in exploring artificial intelligence and mixed realities through her projects and has been recognized for her experimental research-based practices that delve into the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, occultism, Eastern mysticism, consciousness, artificial intelligence, and the future of humanity.

Her work has been featured at numerous renowned international festivals, including La Biennale di Venezia, Ars Electronica Festival, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Wien Modern, Expo Shanghai, ManiFeste IRCAM, Steirische Herbst, ZeitRäume Basel:Bienalle für Musik und Architektur, Crossings for contemporary music and dance Johannesburg, Biennale Taschenopernfestival Salzburg, Festival Mixtur Barcelona, and Stockholm Fringe Fest. She has also been invited to be an artist-in-residence in Johannesburg, South Africa; in Singapore; at the Festival d'Aix en Provence, at Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg and La Monnaie/De Munt;  and serves as a mentor for the SEWEM European Women Music program. 

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