The immersive extended reality (XR) theater experience “Blur” co-produced by Taiwan, Canada and Greece is proving popular in Canada, with tickets for all 210 presentations sold out, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Directed by Craig Quintero, artistic director of Taipei City-based Riverbed Theatre Company, and Phoebe Greenberg, founder of Montreal-headquartered PHI Studio, the work supported by the MOC is being staged at PHI Centre in Canada until March 29. It was jointly produced by Riverbed Theatre, PHI Studio and Athens-based Onassis Culture.
“Blur” blends live performance with artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 4D dynamic capture and tactile feedback. Set in a near future where cloning and de-extinction have become reality, the production immerses audiences in a shifting landscape that dissolves the boundaries between real and virtual and confronts them with questions of grief, identity and scientific ethics.
According to the MOC, the work premiered at Taiwan’s National Theater in March 2025 before being selected for the immersive section at the Venice Biennale later the same year and receiving five honors at France’s XRMust Awards 2025. The ministry added that it was also selected for the Pitch New Works session at the International Society of Performing Arts’ 2026 annual congress in January, at which Quintero pitched to hundreds of curators in New York with support from the Taipei Cultural Center in New York.
The successful staging of “Blur” in Montreal marks an important milestone in the digital innovation and international collaboration of Taiwan’s performing arts sector, the TCC in New York said. The center will continue assisting Taiwanese troupes in expanding touring opportunities and raising the global profile of the country’s immersive works, it added.
Established in 1998, Riverbed Theatre has received awards at international events including Luxembourg City Film Festival and Montreal Festival of New Cinema for its productions “All That Remains,” “Over the Rainbow” and “A Simple Silence.” (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
Directed by Craig Quintero, artistic director of Taipei City-based Riverbed Theatre Company, and Phoebe Greenberg, founder of Montreal-headquartered PHI Studio, the work supported by the MOC is being staged at PHI Centre in Canada until March 29. It was jointly produced by Riverbed Theatre, PHI Studio and Athens-based Onassis Culture.
“Blur” blends live performance with artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 4D dynamic capture and tactile feedback. Set in a near future where cloning and de-extinction have become reality, the production immerses audiences in a shifting landscape that dissolves the boundaries between real and virtual and confronts them with questions of grief, identity and scientific ethics.
According to the MOC, the work premiered at Taiwan’s National Theater in March 2025 before being selected for the immersive section at the Venice Biennale later the same year and receiving five honors at France’s XRMust Awards 2025. The ministry added that it was also selected for the Pitch New Works session at the International Society of Performing Arts’ 2026 annual congress in January, at which Quintero pitched to hundreds of curators in New York with support from the Taipei Cultural Center in New York.
The successful staging of “Blur” in Montreal marks an important milestone in the digital innovation and international collaboration of Taiwan’s performing arts sector, the TCC in New York said. The center will continue assisting Taiwanese troupes in expanding touring opportunities and raising the global profile of the country’s immersive works, it added.
Established in 1998, Riverbed Theatre has received awards at international events including Luxembourg City Film Festival and Montreal Festival of New Cinema for its productions “All That Remains,” “Over the Rainbow” and “A Simple Silence.” (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News