A chance to conduct yourself

The exhibition includes a range of artworks that seek to reinterpret performing arts genres, such as music, dance and traditional Chinese opera, with digital technology, which allows viewers to interact with art and even take part in creating personalized pieces.

Other works include an installation co-created by artist Fei Jun and psychologist Liu Zhengkui that offers a personalized music therapy experience by detecting users' emotions, interactions with the NCPA's virtual employee Art Goose, and a digital screen that allows users to paint Peking Opera makeup and display video excerpts in accordance with the role painted.

"With the core idea that art has endless possibilities, this exhibition aims to present the NCPA's work in performing arts through technological formats," says Sheng Lei, another curator from the NCPA.

"All content in the exhibition hall is digital and interactive, and at the same time, we showcase content from our original productions enhanced by technology. Each project offers in-depth participation and personalized experiences."

Themed "Art for the People, Three Locations in Same Splendor", the Open Day Festival celebrates the 17th anniversary of the NCPA's inauguration, and the first year of the center as a cultural institution of three sites — the NCPA, the Beijing Performing Arts Centre and the NCPA Taihu Stage Art Centre.

With a total of five sessions offering free online booking, the three sites hosted 15 performances and more than 50 cultural activities.

On the day, visitors could attend a variety of live performances. The traditional Chinese performances included xiangsheng (cross-talk), pingshu (storytelling), yangge (a type of Chinese folk dance) from Shaanxi province, and folk songs and dances from Yunnan province.

At the NCPA concert hall, the morning sessions featured two concerts of traditional Chinese orchestra and the afternoon saw two symphony concerts. Visitors could encounter performances of a jazz quartet, a children's choir and flash mob dances in the NCPA's public areas.