Overview of Chimerik 似不像 (Canada)

Company Profile: Chimerik 似不像 is a leading interdisciplinary media and performing arts company based in Canada, known for integrating advanced technology with live art. Their approach emphasizes the heart and soul of storytelling, ensuring that technology serves as a means to deepen human connection. Their work spans across new media, audiovisual technology, and live performance, with a focus on fostering creative expression and building deeper connections through interdisciplinary collaborations.

Key Focus Areas and Expertise:

• Audiovisual New Media: Chimerik is recognized for its expertise in the audiovisual software Isadora, having worked on over 500 multi-disciplinary projects exhibited internationally. As a rare direct lineage working with the pioneers of digital performance, Troika Ranch, Chimerik stands out in its ability to integrate complex digital systems with live performance.
• Global Collaborations: Their projects have been featured at prestigious events such as the World Design Expo, Digital Arts Festival of Taipei, Taipei World Design Expo, ISEA (International Symposium of Electronic Arts), and the PUSH International Performing Arts Festival.
• High-Profile Partnerships: Chimerik has collaborated with major theatre and dance companies, including Stratford Festival (the largest classical repertory theatre company in North America), The Arts Club, and Beijing Modern Dance Company. In addition, their corporate collaborations include global powerhouses such as NIKE, Microsoft, BenQ, and Google, where they deliver live visual/projection design and interactive video installations.
• Community Engagement and Indigenous Collaborations: Chimerik has built strong relationships with Indigenous artists and organizations across Canada, successfully blending deep cultural and spiritual knowledge with digital arts and interactive media, while maintaining a sense of ritual and connection to ancient traditions.

Significant Achievements:

• Awards:
  • Chrystal Dance Prize (2023)
  • Changemaker Award by the BC Museums Association (2022)
  • Multiple Jessie Richardson Awards for Outstanding Productions and Innovative Storytelling (2019, 2020, 2021/2022)
• Grants and Funding: From 2012 to October 2024, Chimerik secured 38 grants, totaling over CAD $884,000, from municipal, federal, and provincial public arts funds. They also co-received significant funding such as the New Chapter Grant and the Cultivate Grant, some of the largest in the history of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Key Projects and Contributions:

• Music & Performance Collaborations: Chimerik has worked with internationally renowned musicians such as Taiwanese pop star Faith Yang (楊乃文), Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰), indie band Sunset Rollercoaster & hip hop artist Dwagie (大支). Canadian artists like Tarun Nayar (Modern Biology), Ruby Singh, and PIQSIQ. They co-created an audiovisual project with Indigenous writer and musician Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, which was featured in Canada's National Arts Centre (NAC) and received a nomination at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards.
• Theatre and Dance: In theatre, Chimerik has worked on immersive projection design for critically acclaimed productions such as Camera Obscura and The Great Leap, which earned multiple awards at the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. They have also contributed to prestigious dance collaborations, including Wen Wei Dance, Dancers of Damelahamid, and Raven Spirit Dance.
• Large-Scale Productions: Chimerik created the official opening show of the Taichung Light Festival—a monumental project that incorporated projection mapping on balloons and a water stage, performed in front of over 30,000 attendees. They have participated in international festivals such as the Digital Arts Festival of Taipei (2012) and the Taipei World Design Expo (2011).
• Film & Visual Collaborations: Chimerik has worked with renowned figures in the film industry, including Wong Kar Wai (王家衛)’s cinematographer Christopher Doyle (杜可風), and they collaborated on Beijing Modern Dance Company’s interpretation of The Rite of Spring for its 100th anniversary at China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. This project also involved key cultural figures like Zhang Yimou (張藝謀)’s production designer Gao Guangjian (高廣健) and Cui Jian (崔健), often referred to as the "Father of Rock in China."
• Research Projects: Chimerik contributed to large-scale international research projects such as the Migrant Bodies Project, a two-year initiative supported by the European Union’s Culture Programme, which explored migration through contemporary arts and was presented at the Operaestate Festival Veneto (2015) in Italy.

Mission & Core Values: Chimerik’s mission is to inspire and create transformative works that foster interdisciplinary, intercultural, and transnational collaborations through new media, digital technology, and performance. They prioritize the empowerment of underrepresented voices, using art to challenge societal norms, foster social change, and explore deeper spiritual connections. Their work is rooted in the belief that creativity sourced from love, gratitude, and joy can have a powerful ripple effect on both the artistic community and society at large.

Contributions to the Current Project