In January 2020, New York-based interdisciplinary performing artist Eiko Otake arrived in Beijing to visit Wen Hui, a Chinese choreographer and filmmaker. Eight years apart, Eiko grew up in postwar Japan and Wen during the Cultural Revolution. They had planned to visit each other for a month to converse and collaborate, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly cut off Eiko’s visit and made Wen’s visit to the USA impossible. Nevertheless, the collaboration continued. Looking back on the video diaries they had filmed without a script, Eiko and Wen continued their dialogue on Zoom, sharing past works that form a deeper understanding of their circumstantial differences and characteristic similarities.

The pair spent a week in residence at MASS MoCA developing the new collaborative work What Is War, which explores the pair’s individual relationships to war, conflict, and their aftermaths. What Is War premiered at the Walker Arts Center in 2025.