By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Australian performance artist William Yang said his work is essentially a variation on the living room slide shows we might remember from childhood.

“The difference is, I know how to edit the slides,” he laughed. Yang’s projected images are tied to story-telling monologues and accompanied by music. The Sydney-based artist began as both a playwright and a photographer, but about 17 years ago, “I started doing performance pieces. It gave me a unique act,” Yang said.

Yang performs “Shadows,” his latest performance piece, March 15-16 at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The work explores the histories of two minority groups who have historically faced hardships in South Australia, Australian Aborigines and migrant Germans.

“Shadows” is a commissioned piece, having been developed for an arts festival in Adelaide that had “reconciliation” as its theme. Yang said that’s a provocative word in Australia, where it has strong connotations surrounding the nation’s treatment of its Aborigine inhabitants.

Yang was advised by an associate director of the festival that he should also consider discussing the German migrant community. “Shadows” partially addresses their internment during World Wars I and II.

The piece, according to Yang, “touch(es) on history a bit. It touches on British colonialism.” But he added that it is essentially a travelogue with an occasional political or historical tangent. Most of his work to this point has been highly autobiographical, chronicling his coming out as both a gay man and a Chinese Australian.

“Shadows” deals with less GLBT content than most of his other work, but, by virtue of his being the narrator and photographer, Yang said the piece has a gay sensibility.

“There are gay jokes and one of my boyfriends (figures) into the piece,” he said.

Yang, who is 64, is a third-generation Chinese Australian.

“I grew up in a household that was completely assimilated,” he said, adding that he essentially came out as a gay man long before “coming out” as Chinese. Sydney’s Chinese community, he said, has not politically energized as rapidly as its GLBT one.

Australia “is further along than most countries” when it comes to GLBT issues, according to Yang.

“The gay movement is especially strong in Sydney, because of Mardi Gras,” he added, though he thought that the famous celebration has atrophied and slipped in relevance over the years.

“It’s had its day. The younger generation has a different set of values,” he said.

Although Australia is coming off of 12 years with an extremely conservative government, “the activism of the ’70’s, ’80’s and ’90’s has kind of paid off” for GLBTs there, Yang said.

“You see it in the Asian community,” he added, remembering a controversy igniting years ago when a GLBT entry appeared in the Chinese New Year’s parade. “Now, they’re just like any other float,” he said.

“I think we’re seeing a movement towards legal equality,” Yang added.

William Yang performs “Shadows” March 15 at 7:30 p.m. and March 16 at 3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. For tickets call (312) 397-4010 or go to www.mcachicago.org.