Danny Yung (Hongkong)

An experimental arts pioneer since the 1970s, director, producer, curator and playwright Danny Yung is one of the most influential artists and dynamic cultural figures in Hong Kong and Asia. He is also founder of Zuni Icosahedron, internationally recognised as the epitome of experimental theatre in Asia. Always at the forefront of the arts, Yung is a multi-disciplinary artist who has created and participated in more than a hundred productions, many of which often provoke controversy and censorship, and has been involved in a myriad of cross-cultural projects. A keen advocate of new art forms, Yung curated many early video arts programmes when video art in Hong Kong was in its infancy. His own experimental films, video arts and installation works have been shown at festivals in Copenhagen, Berlin, London, Edinburgh, Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York. Since the 1990s, Yung began to seek the next stage in the evolution of Chinese opera and, through his exploratory projects, encouraged traditional performing arts practitioners to reinvent themselves and bring fresh creativity to the development of traditional arts. Yung is equally tireless in his advocacy for the establishment of arts and cultural policies, international cultural exchanges and creative education through his roles in numerous institutions. He received the Merit Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009.