As night fell, ‘Character Space’ – a giant Porsche 911 sculpture – cast a dreamy purple glow across Aranya’s Provence Beach. With a theatrical performance, drone show and musical performances, an immersive experience was created. In this case, ‘character’ could refer to both the modern expression of theatrical art on display or the ultimate reflection of the sports car spirit. This year, Porsche and the Aranya Theater Festival have comprehensively expanded their cooperation and deeply integrated various theatre and cross-disciplinary units to explore the direction of style between ‘exception and rule’.
“The core of Porsche’s character lies in the adherence and inheritance of pure sports car DNA, and the interpretation and understanding of modern, sporting luxury,” says Michael Kirsch, President and CEO of Porsche China. “The Aranya Theater Festival provides Porsche with a stage to showcase artistic integration and spatial innovation. This partnership is another deep exploration for Porsche to reach younger generations and resonate with the current zeitgeist. Through the ceremonial platform of the theatre festival, we hope to embark on an artistic practice that breaks boundaries, fully displaying the essence of style and creating infinite possibilities for the future.”
Diverse art forms interpret the power of character
On the opening night, Michael Kirsch, together with Ma Yin, the founder of Aranya, Meng Jinghui, the Aranya Theatre Festival Art Director, and Liu Chang, the Artistic Curator of Aranya Theatre Festival, officially kicked off the seaside event by sharing their unique perspectives on character expression, exception and rule, as well as theatrical art, intertwining imagination and inspiration. A unique drone performance directed the audience’s gaze towards the connection between the sky and sea. As the phrase ‘Trends fade, but character endures’ illuminated the 911 sculpture, the evening reached its crescendo, as Porsche once again interpreted the timeless essence of character in a unique way, offering an immersive experience of sharing dreams, art, and life.
Porsche’s exclusive themed play ‘Character Speaks’, directed by Liu Chang and performed by the Meng Jinghui Theater Studio, was passionately presented on the opening night. This play, themed ‘Embracing change without losing your character’, paid tribute to literary masters from four different eras through music, theatre, sculpture and environment. Performed by the studio’s new generation Butterfly Group, the play showcased the style expression of each character amidst the inherent current temperament of the younger generation, just as every Porsche model embodies the ultimate interpretation of character
All-electric Macan shines in the Porsche Character Space
Next to the artworks the new Macan was also displayed at Aranya beach. The all-electric SUV delivers E-Performance on any terrain and a high level of day-to-day usability. Sports-car-like performance figures are matched by high-performance fast charging at up to 270 kW and up to 613 km of range in WLTP.
Through its progressive, timeless design, characteristic Porsche performance, long-distance range and high everyday practicality, the new Macan 4 and the new Macan Turbo aim to completely fulfil the requirements of Porsche customers choosing an SUV.
Seeking inspiration and aesthetic resonance in coastal life
On 22 June, a conversation themed ‘Character Speaks’ took place in the Porsche Character Space, with special guests including Liu Chang, the Aranya Theatre Festival’s Art Curator and Show Director, Ma Yansong, the Founder of MAD Architects, Zheng Jing, a Professor at the China Academy of Art, and Ma Yin, the founder of Aranya. That evening, a vibrant public art parade celebrated theatre and art, featuring the Porsche art car ‘996 Swan’, created by Scottish artist Chris Labrooy. Based on a 996-generation 911– the first model sold on the Chinese mainland 20 years ago – it was the perfect complement to the innovative spirit of the Aranya Theater Festival and will remain on display at Migratory Bird 300, a temporary art museum on the beach there.
From 26-27 June, a seaside market will run as part of the festival, with Porsche providing visitors with a diverse array of artistic experiences and shopping options.
About Porsche Character Space
Ingeniously combining brand, art and theatrical elements, the Porsche Character Space is constructed from reusable materials and first made its debut at the 2023 Munich Auto Show, covering approximately 1,000 square metres. This year, this huge installation is on the shores of Aranya, where the aim is to gather more stories from Porsche owners before carrying them to the next stop on the world tour.
