Melati Suryodarmo’s performances have been dealing with the relationship between a human body, a culture in which it belongs to and a constellation where it lives. Through the presence, she compiles, extracts, conceptualized and translates some phenomenon or subjects into movement, actions, and gestures that are specified to her performance. Melati Suryodarmo’s performances concern with cultural, social and political aspects, in which she articulates through her psychological and physical body. Her performances feature elements of physical presence and visual art to talk about identity, energy, politics and relationships between the body and its environments.
Melati Suryodarmo studied at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Germany under Marina Abramovic. Suryodarmo has presented her works in various internati- onal festivals and exhibitions since 1996, including the 50th Venice Biennale 2003, Mark- ing the territory, IMMA Dublin. e.t.c. In 2005, Melati Suryodarmo has performed at the Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam, during the Exhibition of the Life of Egon Schiele in 2005; Vi- deobrasil Sao Paolo (2005), Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin, 52nd Venice Biennale dan- ce Festival (2007), KIASMA Helsinki (2007), Manifesta7, in Bolzano, Italy (2008),and In Transit festival, HKW Berlin (2009), Luminato festival of the arts, Toronto, 2012.
Since the last six years, Suryodarmo has been presenting her works in Indonesia and other South East Asian countries. For the Padepokan Lemah Putih Solo Indonesia, she has been organizing an annual Performance Art Laboratory Project and “undisclosed territory” performance art event in Solo Indonesia since 2007. In 2012, she founded “Studio Plesungan” an art space for performance art laboratory.
Tomorrow As Purpose is a dance performance piece, which gains psychological awareness about power, and especially the tragedy as effect of power, starting from personal, family, and society and as a nation. I am interested to broaden my observation and learning phase on the archaic movement, by learning Pakarena of Bugis culture (in South Sulawesi) dance, which I consider its idea that the movement is taught by messages from heaven to the peo- ple on earth as very interesting idea about belief and trust to the life. I am connecting with Daeng Serang Dakko from Makasar, a Pakarena maestro who basically teaches us through his powerful drum play, to learn how to dance Pakarena (the ancient form) and soon the older version or the source of Pakarena, the Salongdreng. I am going to work on the element of performance art, including the exploration of endur- ance and action.
Some of the text will appear as songs and some songs I wrote and will be sung by performer (s). Music, sound and voice are taking big role in this piece, as it should not be accompanying the dance, but it comes at the right moment when it is needed. But it is also can be the main presence in one or two parts. Listening, hearing text within music or voice work as form, and the collaboration with the voice of live choir and digital music will enrich and create sonic presence in this piece.
Artistically, I would like to fluently mix be- tween the ancient and archaic, with the pseudo Indo-pop culture of today. Through the combination of minimalist clarity and the switch into surrealistic presentation of the real, the piece will gradually present a kind of causality of the beginning to the end.
I am going to invent objects, everyday ready-made objects, to be brought into the stage through performative action. The set and light design will be rather simple than explorative, but it should rep- resent a certain architectural and function- ing space.
