Sasawa: Raungan Bisu Rembulan Merah
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The human drive to create has led to inventions, culture, progress. Yet, beneath this often lie forces of power and control, at times giving rise to conflicts when individuals and groups impose their beliefs and ways on others.
Sasawa: Silent Wails of the Red Moon is a performance that takes its cue from a conflict in Indonesia around one of its ethnic groups. Unresolved to this day, forcefully buried and forgotten, the tragedy has impacted and left lasting traces on generations since. Through traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit), poetry, and musical performance, Sasawa opens up space for voices that have been silenced for decades and bodies that have been confined for even longer. The performance is a gesture of hope, attending to long overlooked wounds and affirming shared, suppressed memories to rediscover and celebrate varied cultural identities, belief systems, and belonging.​
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In collaboration with a guzheng virtuoso, Eni Agustien.
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The project interlinks with the dissertation A Safe Place by the Shadow: Staging Trauma in Javanese Shadow Play.
Design Tutors:
Fiona Zisch, Jonathan Tyrrell
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Technical Support:
Alexander Whitley, Alice Whewell, David Gardener, Dominik Zisch, James Wilkie, Michael Wagner, Parker Heyl, Sandra Ciampone, and B-made.
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Credits: Linyi Li, Natsuko Yonezawa, Qun Fu, Yanxi Chen, Yulu Chen, Zahra Malekmohammadi, Zijun Wan.
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London Festival of Architecture, 2024
Bartlett Fifteen Show, 2024
