Tsu-Chung Su

In the context of the lecture series »Sinophone Classicism«, scholars, writers, and artists explore the resurgence of classical Chinese cultural elements in global contexts, demonstrating the vast perspectives on Chineseness and the relevance of Chinese traditions in today’s world. 

In this lecture, Gao Xingjian, the Nobel Prize-winning Chinese-born writer and artist residing in exile in France, presents his acclaimed play »Snow in August«

About the lecture
Snow in August is based on the life of Huineng (February 27, 638 – August 28, 713), the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism and founder of the Sudden Enlightenment School. Drawn from Huineng’s Platform Sutra and various koan cases, the play showcases Gao’s nonconformist poetics, transforming classical notions of acting, dramaturgy, and theatricality, particularly from Beijing Opera, while simultaneously embodying his politics of resistance. The play explores whether Huineng's life embodies themes of religious nonconformity and political resistance, similar to Gao's personal experiences of dissent and exile.

About the speaker
Tsu-Chung Su is Distinguished Professor of English at National Taiwan Normal University. His areas of interest include Nietzsche and his French legacy, theories of hysteria and melancholia, Shakespeare studies, performance studies, Indology, dramatic theory and criticism, and theories of consciousness and mindfulness. In May 2024 he is a Fellow at the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften of Goethe University Frankfurt.

Participation on spot
Venue: Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften, Am Wingertsberg 4, 61348 Bad Homburg

For better planning, please register in advance. We will register your registration but will not send you a registration confirmation.
E-Mail: anmeldung@forschungskolleg-humanwissenschaften.de
Closing Date: Thursday, May 16, 2024

Participation via Zoom
For the Zoom registration link, please click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvcemgqD4pHtwbv3Xm1wsOHWP42K7I_RkN#/registration.