



Artist in Focus: Ix Wong
Always Together Forever Apart
Based on stories of san-sheng shi (thrice-born stone) about the eternal friendship between Li Yuan and the monk Yuen-kuan, which defies death and rebirth.
Choreographed by|Aaron Khek Ah Hock, Ix Wong
Director|Glen Goei
2018
- Singapore
- 6’
- Total duration: 56'
- No Dialogue
- Dance Film
- Color
- Group B
The screening is supported by


Artist in Focus: Ix Wong
Ix Wong, born in 1974, is a Malaysian choreographer, dancer, and costume designer. He graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1998 and was a professional dancer with the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company. From 2000 to 2002, he served as director and assistant choreographer for the Singaporean arts group, The Arts Fission. He later co-founded the contemporary dance group Ah Hock and Peng Yu with his partner, Singaporean dancer Aaron Khek Ah Hock, and served as the artistic director.
Wong and Khek worked closely together, co-choreographing works such as Excessive Space·Constricted Space (2002), Seng Bei (2003), Whispering City Series (2003), L+R (2004), Peng Yu (2004), TEA·MOVES (2005), and Formidable (2008). Wong and Khek met at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where they collaborated on choreography and performance. Later, due to Wong’s HIV diagnosis, he was forced to step back from stage performances.
In 2014, Wong and Khek collaborated with Singaporean director Glen Goei and renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle for the dance film Always Together Forever Apart. In 2016, they again teamed up with Malaysian director Gavin Yap for The Smiling Tiger. After Khek passed away from cancer, Wong lost both his beloved partner and his stage collaborator. In 2019, Hong Kong director Jessey Tsang helmed the dance short Ward 11, which documented their final moments together. Later, Tsang collaborated again with Wong to create the VR film Chroma 11. The duet by the two was completed by Wong alone.
Resilient and unyielding, he transforms queer spirit into the language of dance movement. Once an emerging talent in the world of choreography, he was forced to step away from the stage due to illness. He created alongside his partner, only to endure the heartbreak of loss. Despite adversity, he continues to engage in dialogue through art and the body, exploring the many facets of love, queer identity, grief and rebirth. Wong’s artistic journey - whether through his pursuit of dance as a form of expression, his exploration of physical language, or his portrayal of emotion - fully embodies his distinctive artistic vision and philosophical reflections on life. This year, the Macao International Queer Film Festival pays tribute to him, showcasing four dance films he co-created. Through these works, we witness how he uses the body as a vessel to reflect the resilience and aesthetics of queer life.
6.14 Sat 19:00
6.21 Sat 15:30 with post-screening talk, guest: Ix Wong
Director
Glen Goei
Glen Goei
