Daniel Kok studied Fine Art & Critical Theory (Goldsmiths College, London), Solo/Dance/Authorship (HZT, Berlin) and Advanced Performance and Scenography Studies (APASS, Brussels). In 2008, he received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council (Singapore). 

His artistic research explores the politics of inter-subjective relationality. By drawing a key distinction between spectatorship and audienceship, he highlights the tension between the experience of an individual and that of a group. From 2010 to 2018, he created performances through ‘figures of performance’ - such as the pole dancer, cheerleader, and military commander - each engaging the crowd through specific tools and protocols. 

Since 2014, he has collaborated with Melbourne-based artist Luke George on a performance practice based on rope bondage that investigates collective negotiations of consent and intimacy. Their performances are live experiments in democratic politics and acquiescence, welcoming failure as part of a radical approach to consensus and coalescence. Their work has been presented across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America, including at the Venice Biennale, AsiaTOPA (Melbourne), Singapore International Festival of Arts, and Taipei Arts Festival. Still Lives: Melbourne won Outstanding Contemporary and Experimental Performance and Design/Technical Achievement at the 2023 Green Room Awards.

As Artistic Director of DANCE NUCLEUS (Singapore), Daniel develops capacity for independent artists and builds trans-local partnerships across the Asia-Pacific. He regularly coaches younger artists in the formulation of their praxes across four domains - Research, Creation, Production, and Dissemination - treating independent artistic production as a question of dramaturgy in and of itself. He also curates the da:ns LAB coaching programme and the VECTOR exhibition of performance annually with support from the Esplanade (Singapore).

Daniel Kok is based between Singapore and Berlin.

C.V.

                                                                                   


09.Tie Massage, 2017
Daniel Kok + Luke George
Workshop

In Tie Massage, we extract ideas and exercises that we have developed over the process of creating BUNNY. We then incorporated Thai Massage principles into our rope practice. 

By combining bondage with massage, the full range of pressure and release, or control and surrender come into play. The premise is that bondage is a dynamic relational practice that involves a heightened sense of touch and sensitive mutual listening between the giver and the receiver, as they they communicate their consent, trust, empathy and pleasure to each other.

This 2-Day workshop is suitable for anyone with a curiosity in interacting with others. Emphasising the duty of care in this workshop, we cater to different desires and interests, and explore the politics of intimacy that are revealed by the differences between doing and observing, seeing and being seen, leading and being led.