Breathe with Me at the Nordic Contemporary Art Center

Under the shade of an over-three hundred-year-old banyan tree, the Nordic Contemporary Art Center (NAC) in Xiamen, China, presented a special production of Breathe with Me. The event, which was organized jointly with the Danish Embassy in Beijing, took place outside and incorporated a series of activities, facilitated by the Rhythm Art Union. Meditation master Zhao Ming hosted group meditations, and new media designer Woodie Wu led voice therapy sessions. Clara Ke, NAC’s executive director, noted that Breathe with Me incorporates local culture in each location it’s show, and that this unique blend of Asian and Western traditions helped participants release anxiety, while coming together as one.

Hanna Leanderdal, the Team leader for Culture, Public Diplomacy and Press for the Danish Embassy in Beijing, was in attendance, along with nearly 700 people who participated in Breathe with Me over three sessions.

"This event has not only generated enormous publicity to climate change but also actively responded to the idea of energy conservation…" said Thomas Østrup Møller, Denmark's ambassador in China. "Consequently, the project is also a good combination of art and the U.N.'s sustainable development targets for 2030."

Images by Hanna Leanderal and NAC