The Art of Doing Nothing: a feminist manifesto is about listening to yourself and the world around you. About saving power to explode with power. It is not about doing nothing. It is a proposal for navigating choice and making sense of your own place in a chaotic world; to not always swim against the current, but sometimes let yourself be carried on the waves. It is a personal vision on how to be wrong, how to sink into doubt, how to embrace the magical space of not knowing.
The piece celebrates soft, ‘feminine’ qualities like intuition, vulnerability and emotionality, and leans into the empowerment and freedom that comes with giving space to them. In a world where these strengths are seen as weak and inferior, The Art of Doing Nothing becomes a necessarily feminist act, a radical antidote to patriarchal norms of certainty and hierarchical power.
Guided by intimate yet absurd texts, Stephanie Pan and Ensemble Klang lure you onto a sonic roller-coaster that dives and soars through lush dramatic song, fragile delicate soundscapes, chaos, feedback noise, and pounding tekno beats.
Concept, music, text & voice Stephanie Pan
performed with Ensemble Klang
Live sound Tom Giles
Lighting & video Pavla Beranová
Conceptual advice Snejanka Mihaylova
Project image Chaja Hertog
Performances
- 11 Jan 2024, Musical Utopias, Korzo, The Hague (world premiere)
- 6 April 2024, Rewire Festival, The Hague
Reviews
“'Loving being still. Knowing when to pounce.' The Art of Doing Nothing embodies the notion perfectly."
"Sometimes serene and peaceful, despite a constant underlying anxiety, it lets energy build up before erupting musically and emotionally, such that its peaks are evermore impressive."
"a rollercoaster embracing soundscapes through to post-punk. A conceptual performative piece... extremely impressive... an early highlight [at Rewire]..."
"an impressive album... Pan's passionate vocals soar effortlessly"
Stephanie Pan's The Art of Doing Nothing
