Discover HKBU
A showcase of immersive artistry and innovation at Biennale Danza 2025
29 Aug 2025
A groundbreaking collaboration between HKBU, Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) and Studio Wayne McGregor (SWM), opened to rave reviews, with some calling the immersive artistry “ravishing”, at Venice’s Biennale Danza 2025 from 25 July to 2 August 2025.
Uniting in creative flair: HKBU, Hong Kong Ballet and Studio Wayne McGregor
The post-cinematic choreographic installation Wayne McGregor: On the Other Earth is a pioneering cultural performance that leverages the immersive nVis installation developed by Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of the Academy of Visual Arts and Director of the Visualization Research Centre, and Professor Sarah Kenderdine, Visiting Professor of the Department of Computer Science at HKBU. The stunningly original dance performance is set within an immersive panoramic, 360-degree stereoscopic, 12K LED, 26-million-pixel nVis screen, where 3D imagery is experienced within an enveloping, large-scale cylindrical architecture. This nVis installation is funded by the HKSAR Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) under the HK$35.4 million “Future Cinema Systems: Next-Generation Art Technologies” project.
Transporting audiences into a thought-provoking and otherworldly encounter, the teams from HKBU, HK Ballet and Studio Wayne McGregor had everyone mesmerised through the sheer brilliance of the performance’s choreography, spatialised sound, artificial intelligence and photorealistic imagery.
Shaping the future of performance
To celebrate this successful collaboration, a Hong Kong reception with the theme ‘Pulse of the Pearl: Transcending Avant-Garde with Technology and Knowledge Transfer’ was held on 21 July at SMAC San Marco Art Centre in Venice. Esteemed speakers Artistic Director of Biennale Danza Professor Sir Wayne McGregor; HKBU Interim Chief Innovation Officer Professor Terence Lau; HKB Artistic Director Mr Septime Webre and Professor Shaw; led the audience in an inspiring discussion on how dance, art tech and knowledge transfer will shape the future of performance. They also explored Hong Kong’s role in international partnerships and the city’s potential to contribute to global arts and culture.
The installation will also be presented at Venice Immersive (“The Best of”), the XR Extended Reality section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival from 27 August to 6 September 2025, followed by its UK premiere from October 2025, before finally making its way to Tai Kwun in Hong Kong in 2026.
By leveraging interdisciplinary knowledge transfer to bridge art and technology, and collaborating with cross-industry partners who share the same creative flair, HKBU has once again raised the bar for innovative and technological excellence, solidifying Hong Kong's position as a leading international arts and cultural hub.
