OCEAN CAGE
Tianzhuo Chen & Siko Setyanto (Berlin | Jakarta)
TicketsSchedule
When the call “Baleo! Baleo!” rings out across the Indonesian coastal village of Lamalera, it means the fishermen have sighted a whale. It is regarded as a sign from the ancestors that the ocean is opening up and offering its bounty to the villagers. The whale is thus both source of livelihood and mythological being – with the whale hunt a process that exists somewhere between food acquisition and ritual.
A brilliant and bizarre journey combining film, music and performance: for OCEAN CAGE, stage director and artist Tianzhuo Chen creates an imaginative space in which the dancer Siko Setyanto takes on shifting roles, and allows the audience to experience an immersive and visually-striking rendition of this ritual. The trance-like sounds of the Indonesian musicians Kadapat and Nova Ruth conjure up an ecstatic accompanying undertow that mixes spirituality, technology, tradition and a belief in progress.
Biography
Trained as a swimmer, in his artistic work Tianzhuo Chen a.k.a Asian Dope Boys is drawn to the swirling undercurrents of the subconscious, mythological tales, and spiritual knowledge. His performances and installations have been presented internationally. In 2022, Kampnagel and other venues played host to his 12-hour performance TRANCE. Tianzhuo Chen previously participated in SPIELART in 2017, where he presented AN ATYPICAL BRAIN DAMAGE and the video installation PARADISE BITCH | PICNIC.
Siko Setyanto is a dancer and choreographer from Jakarta (Indonesia), who started training in dance at the age of nine with the Sanggar Maniratari Dance Company in the Javanese city of Solo. He went on to found DRKR Kolektif, which serves as a dancers’ network and training centre for dancers from across Indonesia, as well as the Dansity Dance Company in Jakarta. Siko Setyanto has previously collaborated with Tianzhuo Chen as a dancer and choreographer on the productions TRANCE and PHYSIS.
Nova Ruth Setyaningtyas is a singer, musician, and activist from Indonesia. She is the co-founder of Arka Kinari, a floating cultural platform that takes the form of a sailing ship on a mission to spread awareness of climate change resistance throughout Indonesia. Currently, Nova Ruth is collaborating with Barcelona-based audiovisual artist and musician FILASTINE, where she sings and raps in Javanese, and plays percussion – with the duo performing internationally.
A product of Bali’s emerging music scene, the duo Kadapat is comprised of I Gede Yogi Sukawiadnyana and I Gusti Nyoman Barga. Their self-titled album KADAPAT explores hybrid identities, blending traditional Balinese culture and global influences, with the music reflecting the spirit of Bali’s urban and suburban millennials.
Cast
Artistic direction
Tianzhuo Chen
Choreography & performance
Siko Setyanto
Music
Kadapat | Nova Ruth
Lighting
Akihiko Tanida
Sound
Martin Ortiz
Costume
Chenting Yu
Textile design
Diane Esnault
Make-up
Una Ryu
Mask
Manda Pinky
Technical direction
Francisca Marques
Production technician
Paul Mede
Production assistant
Diane Esnault
Production
partner in crime
Info
Before the performance on October 17, the opening of the SPIELART Festival will take place at 8:30 p.m. in the Muffat Café.
Use of strobe light
Accessibility
Production & Realization
Co-production
HAU Hebbel am Ufer | Arsenic Lausanne | Kyoto Experiment | Kampnagel Hamburg | tanzhaus NRW
Funded by
Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin
