festival
Ariel William Orah
BIO
is a Berlin-based Indonesian artist, community catalysator, and cultural practitioner.He was born in Bandung, Indonesia and has been living and working in Berlin, Germany for the past 11 years. His main practices focus on diasporic socially engaged art creation and his research interests include social and climate injustice, as well as the trilogy of identity, memory, and scarcity.
Orah’s main artistic medium is performance and sound art.Selected works in performing arts includes GAUNG (Ballhaus Naunynstrasse,2021,2022), ARYATI (supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds,Uferstudios, 2022), KIAMAT (supported by Musikfonds e.V.,2022), SCAR-CITY (Ballhaus Naunynstraße,2023), TANA SADJI (Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery, 2022). Orah has released numerous solo albums and performed under the pseudonym ravenative and is actively involved in various bands and music constellations such as grau&, soydivision ensemble, böseblick ensemble, RANGKĄ,and OKNUM.
For the last six years, Orah’s work centered on a collaborative platform and artist group soydivsion, which he founded in 2017. He also co-founded and actively involved in Mutating Kinship Lab (Lab for Asian Diaspora Artist-led) and L-KW (empathy driven sonic syndicate).In addition to his work as an artist, he is also active as a curator and artistic researcher, especially in the field of performing art and sound.
Stateless Mind #5
Performance Title -“Akkulturasa”
Duration: 30 mins
Ariel William Orah(söydivision) (Indonesia/Germany)
Akkulturasa" is initially a multimedia installation that encompasses audio, visual, and text elements. Over time, it has evolved into a performance series, offering a profound immersion into the collective art practices of the past five years. At its core, "Akkulturasa" explores the complex dynamics of acculturation, drawing inspiration from the exchange and fusion of cultural elements among diverse groups, ultimately reflecting the pressures and transformative power of this phenomenon. It is a testament to the collective's transformative journey as they navigate the complexities of cultural assimilation, adaptation, and exchange. Additionally, "rasa," a term inspired from the Indonesian language, adds depth to the title, encompassing not only emotional and aesthetic experiences but also referring to taste (sensory responses to neural stimuli, such as sweet, bitter, sour to the taste buds, or hot, cold, pain to the taste buds). This multifaceted interpretation invites viewers to explore the diverse "tastes" that emerge from the collective's engagement with various cultures, while also acknowledging the pressures and challenges that arise in the process. Through a mesmerizing fusion of audio, visual, and textual elements,
"Akkulturasa" invites viewers to delve into the profound impact of acculturation on the collective's artistic identity, all while illuminating the broader implications and intricacies of cultural exchange in our globally connected world. This on-going mutating piece seamlessly melds retrospective introspection with forward-thinking speculation. By weaving the collective's historical experiences together with a conscious understanding of their evolution, it provides a platform for envisioning the future of socially engaged artistic practices, with a pronounced emphasis on addressing social and environmental injustices. It not only urges viewers to explore their own role in shaping this future but also nurtures a shared sense of imagination and eager anticipation for the ongoing development of the artistic collective.
