MAINSTAGE 2025-2026
OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity
Nancy Lee 李南屏
Photo: Vanessa Tam
OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity
Step into the world of OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity where a delivery app subroutine slowly develops consciousness after a corrupted update. Newly sentient, the performer discovers that the app is shutting down, and must mount a desperate bid for escape.
This interdisciplinary work weaves together movement, projection, spatial sound composition and interactive costuming to build an immersive world where the ground is constantly shifting beneath your feet. Reflecting on the religion of workism and precarity of gig economy labour, we are confronted by the everyday within the unexpected, swirling landscape of OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity.
Nancy Lee 李南屏
Nancy Lee 李南屏 is a Taiwanese-Canadian interdisciplinary media artist, DJ, and cultural producer. In 2017, they directed VR 360 dance film "Tidal Traces" in collaboration with Emmalena Fredriksson under the auspices of the National Film Board of Canada, marking the inception of their foray into XR. The following year, during their artist residency at Western Front with Kiran Bhumber, Nancy co-created "Telepresence," a 8.2-channel live VR performance. Their interdisciplinary works have resonated on the global stage, with presentations at Cannes Film Festival, SXSW, Centre Phi, MUTEK Montreal, Berlin International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Beyond their artistic endeavors, they have become a catalyst for change in the industry.
Nancy's commitment to fostering community is evident in their roles as an XR instructor at IM4 Media Lab, an artistic mentor at Festival of Recorded Movement, and as a co-founder of Chapel Sound and CURRENT: Feminist Electronic Art Symposium. These initiatives aim to uplift and amplify the voices of underrepresented artists, showcasing their dedication to creating a more equitable artistic ecosystem. As a Sundance Institute Alumni and an artist-in-residence at the Society of Arts and Technology, Nancy's collaboration with Kiran Bhumber on the speculative sci-fi exhibition "UNION" shifted their focus towards narrative storytelling. Technically, the project explored 3D scanning/printing, XR, and multi-channel A/V dome theatre performance. In their latest endeavors, Nancy has turned their attention towards performing dance, writing, and a 3-channel documentary project titled "Woven Memory: Copper Bodies" alongside Soledad Fátima Muñoz.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
New Works and Vancouver New Music co-presentation, ANNEX , Vancouver - April 2024 (premiere)
MUTEK Montreal Future Festivals Summit, Société des arts technologiques [SAT], Montreal - August 2024 (excerpt)
Project Created by: Nancy Lee 李南屏
Key Artistic Collaborators:
Produced, Directed & Written by: Nancy Lee 李南屏
Choreography: Nancy Lee 李南屏 + Emmalena Fredriksson
Performance: Nancy Lee 李南屏, Simran Sachar, and Sophia Mai Wolfe
Electroacoustic Composition: Nancy Lee 李南屏 + Aleksandar Zecevic
Sound Design + Interactive System: Aleksandar Zecevic
Voice over + Vocals: Nancy Lee 李南屏
Guzheng: Kayla Briët
Interactive System Consultant: Holon.ist / Ove Holmqvist
Costume Design: Adam-Lin Bungag
Jewelry Design: Ian Nakamoto
Dramaturg: Emmalena Fredriksson
Artistic Consultant: Pia Yona Massie
Projection + Motion Graphic Design: Laine Butler
Lighting System Designer: Hadis Fard
Illustrations: Eve Lee
Video editing: Nancy Lee 李南屏
Production & Stage Manager: Jessica Han
Movement Research: Sarah Hutton, Josh Cameron, Calder White, and Juolin Lee
Rehearsal Direction: Sarah Hutton
Poster Photography: Zuleyma Prado
Performance type: THIS WORK IS BUILT FOR THEATRE, THIS WORK IS ADAPTABLE TO THEATRE OR OUTDOORS OR ALTERNATE VENUES /SPACES
How do you define this work: Dance/theatre, music, interdisciplinary, speculative sci-fi, narrative, A/V performance, spatial sound, radiophonic
Length of performance: 20-55 min
Audience type: General Audience
General Technical Requirements: Theatre with dance floor (black or grey)
Projector and large projection screen/cyc
HDMI to show computer
Stereo sound system (but can expand to surround or multi-channel sound)
Lighting grid
Astera Titans x 8 / one case with transmitter (if we do the full version)
Local A/V technicians
Required amount of time for tech set up: Full show: 1 day tech set up + 1 day for rehearsal ideally
Excerpt / scaled down version: 2-5 hours
Alternative Venues: This show is scalable and can be adapted to other indoor performance spaces that allows for large projections and sound, as long as the space can be dark.
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 4
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 2
Availabilities: 2025/26 Season, 2026/27 Season
Project Details
Community Engagement
This project offers multiple opportunities for meaningful collaboration with local communities. The performance can be designed to incorporate local dancers, brought in through partnerships with dance schools, companies, or independent artists. These collaborations can involve movement workshops led by co-choreographer Emmalena Fredriksson, allowing participants to contribute to the work both as performers and co-creators.
In addition, the project can engage community members through research-based activities. Together with presenters and local partners, we can collect resources on labour history and current advocacy movements, which will inform the performance context. These materials will be compiled into a performance bibliography and shared with audiences after each show, extending the work’s impact beyond the stage.
Another layer of engagement is collaboration with local media art centres, libraries, or educational organizations to host workshops and discussions on AI awareness and media literacy. These sessions can be adapted for youth, students, and intergenerational participants, offered in formats ranging from 60–120 minutes. Online prep meetings with local collaborators can be arranged in advance to co-develop content that resonates with the specific community.
Scheduling formats are flexible (single-day intensives, multi-day residencies, or recurring workshops). Fees depend on the scope and duration of the engagement. Whenever possible, additional collaborators—such as local activists, artists, or educators—are invited to enrich the dialogue and co-create a program tailored to the host community.
Outreach Activities
Nancy Lee offers a range of talks, lectures, masterclasses, demonstrations, and workshops designed to engage diverse communities across age groups (youth, post-secondary students, emerging artists, and general audiences). These can be scheduled as 60–120 minute sessions, in-person or online, and are adaptable for festivals, educational institutions, and community arts spaces. Fees vary by format and duration, and collaborations with local artists and organizations are welcomed to ensure relevance to the hosting community.
1. Producing Interdisciplinary Projects (60 min): Guidance on fundraising, team building, and collaborative workflows.
2. Project Breakdown of OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity (60–90 min): Behind-the-scenes insights into development, from research, to concept and implementation.
3. World-Building & Immersive Storytelling (90–120 min): Strategies for constructing compelling multi-sensory narratives.
4. Navigating Technological Ethics as a Media Artist (60 min): Exploring the responsibilities of artists working with emerging tech.
5. Grassroots Organizing & Advocacy in the Arts (60 min): Sharing methods for fostering community and equity.
6. Resisting Techno-Feudalism & Surveillance Capitalism (60 min): Critical conversations on digital futures and creative resistance.