Darlane Litaay feat. D'raha & Lixno
Jayapura-based Darlane Litaay is a renowned choreographer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist whose works explore the intersections of ritual, embodiment, and socio-political narratives. Rooted in his Melanesian heritage, Darlane investigates hybrid identities and the political representations of the body through performance and media, offering contemporary Papuan perspectives on dance, visual arts, and performance. In recent years, he has delved into altered states of consciousness in dance, utilizing neurofeedback and digital technology.
Darlane currently professes as a lecturer at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts and Culture (ISBI) Tanah Papua, where he serves as a mentor for a community of students under his wing. There, he fosters research-based artistic practices within a community of students. For ARS LONGA: GENERATIO, he has invited two of his students, D'raha and Lixno-both based in Jayapura-to collaborate on a mixed media installation titled Suara Dari Duri (Voice From Thorns). Responding to Darlane's concept, compiling social media buzzwords that combine global and local trends, gimmicky catchphrases, and double entendres.
Suara Dari Duri reflects concerns about the increasingly noisy social landscape driven by the relentless flow of information and conflicting voices. It examines the breath, speech, and corporeal presence of individuals amidst this digital chaos-an era where everyone strives to be heard, yet the essence of meaningful conversation often diminishes. In West Papua-an area marked by political contention-people have long experienced this struggle, longing for their voices to be heard. Focusing on Generation Z, who grew up in a world of constant notifications, comments, and algorithms, the work highlights their unique social reality. In this environment, every voice and opinion is easily amplified and prone to misinterpretation.
When entering the installation, the audience-or 'incomers' as Darlane calls it-is greeted by a windblast and the sounds of barking that is 'emitted' from the image of thorny lips on video. The work explores the vulnerability and risks involved in speaking out, and also questions who is speaking or spoken for. It does not provide solutions but invites reflection on the nature of "voice" as both a gift and a threat in an increasingly chaotic digital age. Are we truly communicating, or merely barking into the void?
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