Attila Konnyu: Awakening, A Theatrical and Cinematic Production Exhibition in Beijing, China
National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), Beijing, China
June 2018
About the Event
At the National Art Museum of China, the Hungarian Contemporary Art Exhibition featured the Asian premiere of Awakening, a hybrid dance-theatre and animation film by multidisciplinary artist Attila Konnyu.
This visionary work integrates high-definition 3D projection mapping with live choreography and classical symphonic music, featuring seven iconic compositions from the Western orchestral canon.
Written and directed by Konnyu, Awakening merges cinematic animation, movement, and digital media to create a deeply immersive experience.
Situated at the intersection of performance, media art, and posthuman theory, Awakening explores how spiritual consciousness might be reimagined - and even re-embodied - through digital technologies.
The work engages with concepts such as “the body in code,” where physical experience becomes entangled with algorithmic systems.
Rather than resisting technological influence, Konnyu proposes that spiritual awareness can evolve through it.
Framed within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the piece invites viewers into a space of speculative reflection - where embodiment, creativity, and ethics converge in a digitised world.
Production Credits
Production Company: MAM Entertainment, Palm Beach, FL, USA
Written & Directed by: Attila Konnyu
Visual Effects Artist: Adam Herczeg
Choreographer: Lorand Zachar
Dancers: Lorand Zachar, Erika Vasas
Camera Operators: Akos K. Kovacs, David Gajdics
Editor: Gabriella Koncz, H.S.E.
Music Director: Bela Zsoldos
Sound Post-Production: Tom Tom Studio, Budapest
About the Event
It is a profound honor to welcome you to this exceptional gathering at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing’s foremost institution for the visual arts. We are especially pleased to acknowledge the presence of His Excellency Dr. Máté Pesti, Ambassador of Hungary to the People’s Republic of China, whose attendance underscores the cultural significance of this occasion.
Among the many highlights of the Hungarian Contemporary Art Exhibition is a remarkable interdisciplinary project making its Asian premiere. We are proud to present Awakening, a hybrid dance-theatre and animation film by the visionary multidisciplinary artist Attila Konnyu. This premiere screening, held in NAMOC’s auditorium, marks the work’s international debut.
Awakening is a compelling convergence of choreography, cinematic animation, and immersive digital technology. Conceived, written, and directed by Konnyu, the work integrates high-definition 3D video projection mapping with live dance and classical symphonic music, featuring seven iconic compositions from the Western orchestral canon. This synthesis of tradition and innovation reflects a distinctly 21st-century aesthetic.
Situated at the intersection of performance, media art, and posthuman theory, Awakening explores the role of spirituality in an era increasingly shaped by technological mediation. At its core lies a provocative question: In a world undergoing rapid techno-cultural transformation, how might spiritual consciousness be reimagined, or even re-embodied, through digital means?
Through its dialogue between physical embodiment and algorithmically generated environments, the production evokes what theorist Mark B. N. Hansen described as “the body in code” - a condition wherein human experience becomes deeply entwined with computational systems. Rather than resisting the presence of technology, Awakening proposes a redefinition of spiritual experience as something potentially activated and expanded through it.
Framed within the conceptual context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the work invites viewers into a space of speculative reflection - a site where creativity, embodiment, and ethical awareness might evolve within the saturation of our digital age.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this visionary contribution to contemporary art and performance.
László Erdész
Chief Curator, Hungarian Contemporary Art Exhibition
Critical Acclaim
“Awakening is not just a performance - it is a philosophical proposition. Konnyu invites us to reconsider the soul in the age of algorithms.”
– László Erdész, Chief Curator
