Destination Terminus – for ensemble

Origin -> Terminus – Caomin Xie and Ofir Klemperer with Ensemble vim

In this collaborative project, visual artist Caomin Xie and composer Ofir Klemperer bring together visual and musical elements to create an immersive experience that explores the tension between endings and beginnings. Drawing on their experiences as immigrants and parents, the work delves into the complex emotions of anxiety and hope, as both artists reflect on the future through the lens of parenthood, societal upheavals, and personal journeys.

The central theme of the project is the cyclical relationship between “origin” and “terminus.” This concept, framed through the perspective of fatherhood, focuses on the fear of an uncertain future while nurturing a sense of hope for the next generation. Through this collaboration, the two artists seek to create a space where the audience can confront their own experiences of dread and possibility, lament and dream.

Caomin’s visual work centers on symbolic imagery, with projections of smoke, time-lapsed blooming, and dream-like landscapes that evoke the fragility of existence and the impermanence of moments. These images are metaphors for the continuous process of transformation—how life and nature move through cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. Visually, the work captures the tension between destruction and rebirth, between what ends and what begins anew.

On the musical side, Ofir’s score for flute, violin, cello, piano, and recorded sounds creates a soundscape that reflects this emotional journey. His compositions are marked by conflicting harmonic content, combining moments of subtlety with raw, visceral soundscapes. The inclusion of audio material such as the sound of burning matches and recordings of his child’s voice adds layers of personal reflection and universal significance. His music is deeply shaped by the recent Israeli-Palestinian war, expressing the trauma, loss, and helplessness that comes with witnessing ongoing conflict. Yet, even within the chaos, the lullaby-like quality of the music reminds us that life, and the act of parenting, persists.

As an American Chinese artist, Alan’s work is also influenced by his long connection to Atlanta, where he has lived and worked for over two decades. The city’s evolving multicultural landscape serves as both a metaphor and a physical space where beginnings and endings intersect. His artwork reflects the alienation, conflict, and solitude that come with contemporary existence, but also the possibility of transformation and hope.

Caomin Xie’s video art projection is a collaboration with new media artist Alessandro Imperato, combining digital techniques with immersive storytelling. Through layered visuals and experimental sound, the work explores themes of perception, memory, and the relationship between technology and human experience, inviting audiences into a dynamic and evolving visual journey.

Ultimately, this work is an exploration of the endurance of life, the persistence of creativity, and the sparks of hope that remain, even in the face of endings. In this way, the collaboration becomes not just a meditation on loss, but an invitation to continue dreaming, imagining, and creating new possibilities.