Ikbal Lubys

Melati Suryodarmo

SISYPHUS

Melati Suryodarmo is a multi-talent. She studied political science in Bandung, Indonesia, and performance art under Marina Abramovi? in Brunswick, Germany. In her radical performances, she investigates the body as a personal memory “container” in which different cultural and social experiences overlap. In her latest work, “Sisyphus”, she is experimenting for the first time with dancers. With their help, she explores the relationship between shamanism, states of trance and present-day life experiences. This work uses texts by the French theatre revolutionary Antonin Artaud as its essential basis. Artaud’s texts “On the Balinese Theatre” and on the body without organs are considered to be among the most productive cultural misunderstandings of the twentieth century, and have influenced theatre makers and philosophers throughout Europe. Artaud describes bodies that are in a continual state of development and fascinate by their intensive presence. Suryodarmo takes a new look at Artaud’s body concept and reconciles it with the Sisyphus myth as the never-ending repetition of a physical action. In this way, she presented a mesmerising performance, which was accompanied live by experimental musician Wukir Suryadi on an especially designed instrument: a plough with bamboo and metal strings. Parallel to the presentation of “Sisyphus”, Wukir Suryadi will be at the “Weltkulturen Museum” from 14 to 18 October and will develop new instruments, inspired by the museum collection.