Becoming God

A sensory and personal quest for the divine

For a long time, Melyn Chow was not allowed to enter her father's family's Taoist temple in Malaysia. For those who, like her, grew up in a Christian family in Singapore, that place was considered dangerous and impure. Forbidden territory, in other words. Becoming God begins there: with the return to what was rejected.

Chow's uncle is a tang ki, a Chinese medium who offers his body as a gateway to the gods. That practice—letting go of control, allowing something greater—forms the framework of the performance. Four performers allow themselves to be carried away by rituals and trance. Incense fills the space, water drips, tea is shared with the audience. Not as an illustration, but as a direct experience.

With live music by Lưu Thoại Linh and performers Sjaid Foncé and Nazar Rakhmanov, a playful and intense journey unfolds. An invitation to allow the longing for the sacred back in – and perhaps, just for a moment, to touch something of the divine yourself.