When entering the theatre, audiences were given an envelope, with a letter and nail. Then they took a seat, seeing the performer sitting quietly with the mouth sealed. On the table in front of the performer, there were a few hammers, and a juicer. Gradually audiences as “listeners” entered the stage, breaking the “speakers”……

Through an envelope with a letter and nail I tried to motivate the well-setted audience to come out on stage and take part in this performance — in order to eliminate all the sounds to obtain total silence whenever all the speakers were destroyed. On the contrary, slightly our desire and curiosity and sense of rebellion could be fulfilled with this tender violence.

I held this performance to express how non-sense our language is, that we cannot communicate to others’ souls if we just keep talking. A Chinese proverb says wisdom only needs to speak while the fool keeps working hard. But this world turns upside down from its peak, maybe joy would only happen to someone who is not very smart.

這是在香港藝術中心麥高利劇場一次以聲音表演為名的實驗劇場，藉「表演」我邀請觀眾偶發參與一次「滅聲」的過程。從介乎懷疑到受鼓吹，因好奇而客氣的踏入舞台，用最低限度的暴力發泄心中積存的微微僅僅非常壓仰的反叛意志、好奇心和破壞欲。

參加者在進場前會得到一個信封，內有一封信件和一口釘子。進場後會看到作為表演者的我安靜坐在桌前，口被封上膠紙，正安靜的閱讀字典。而我的案前放有幾把鎚子、榨汁機。其後觀眾作為「聆聽者」走入舞台，以鎚子搞打「說話者」，參與演出……

從作品我想表達語言的無價值，人與人之間思想的傳達遠不及行動來得直接。精人出口笨人出手，他日聆聽的耐性被美麗而虛浮的說話消磨殆盡，物極必反，或許不太精明的一方才是最後受益人。

Sing Jantzen Tse received his Master of Fine Art at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Sing’s artworks focus on the topics of language and conversation, sound and visuals of daily objects and city landscapes. Delighted in reconstructing scenes using diverse materials to document and re-present various pure experiences, his artworks explore the inextricable and entangled relationships between people, time, the urban environment, and objects of daily life. Tse’s creative practice is primarily led by sound and video installations, as well as sound performances. Tse is active in varied kinds of music and multimedia theatre performances. He also engages in Artistic education. The latest solo exhibition is “Mass Transit Railway” (2024). Tse was supported by soundpocket’s Artist Support Programme 2011–12.