September 30, 2010

Overview PindaKAAS Light

Opening by Pertama Pentas

Saturday the twenty-fifth the second PindaKAAS took place in a Light version. It was a wonderfull evening, I was missing Indonesia more then ever :). They evening was filled with good food, nice performances, poetry, fashion, dance & art. The dance by choreographer Gerard Mosterd “Unfolding‟ was very inspiring. I gave him a copy of the "Dance in a ricecarpet" CD, hope he'll enjoy it! The dance was danced by German-Japanese dancer Julia Mitomi. A must see performance!

Here is a little overview of the evening.My wallpaper installation "The journey of Batik", for more photo's (by night) click here.

Taking flight

Fresh from the Artacademy, fotographer Whitney Lemasian. She showed her graduation-installation and thesis. Her search for her roots and there fore her search for her father led to this work. More about her work on www.whitneylemasian.com.

Photographer Kim Pattiruhu from Tilburg (NL) showed different photo series including "Tiga puluh hari: Napak tilas (2008)". She visited Indonesia with her father.for 30 days The story is told in a beautiful designed book. More about Kim's work on www.kimpattiruhu.nl

Dutch Indonesian fashion by Soesoe productions

"Van Hollandse Bodem" (From Dutch soil), Dutch Indonesian fashion by Soesoe productions. I definitely would like to work in the garden wearing this!

Poet Winarko Bazoeni Boesrie with his daughter Fithrie, who is reading the translations aloud.

Make sure to visit the next edition of PindaKAAS! More about PindaKAAS on www.pindakaasfestival.nl

September 27, 2010

Goddess of Rice?

They call her Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice. I didn't know that name untill artist Krisna Murti shared photo's of my project Dance in a ricecarpet with the titel "Goddess of Rice?". I started looking up information about Dewi Sri, also know as Dewi Shri (Javanese), Nyai Pohaci Sanghyang Asri (Sundanese), Mae Po Sop, Siamese rice goddess in Thailand, and Khmer Po Ino Nogar, rice goddess of Cambodia. My Dance in a ricecarpet dancer Barbara van Kooten looks a bit like Dewi Sri, but also the project itself symbolize things which Dewi Sri symbolize.



The dance is about creating, destroying and rebuilding. A process of within shown with rice.

Barbara's dance starts in a ricecarpet made of black, red and yellow rice and blond lentil. The patterns in this ricecarpet are based on different Batikmotifs. Left and right you'll see the motif of the Batikbird, phoenix or "bang-biru" bird from Batik Lasem. In the black parts are motifs from Simbut Batiks, symbols for life in the shape of a Sun or compass. The center of the ricecarpet is a mask or moth.

Barbara's dance makes different shapes in the rice, a small flower turn in to a mandala.

With red lentils Barbara accentuate her new made ricecarpet.

Dewi Sri is believed to have dominion over the underworld and the Moon. Thus, Dewi Sri encompasses the whole spectrum of the Mother Goddess, having dominion over birth and Life. She controls rice: the staple food of Indonesians; hence life and wealth or prosperity; most especially rice surpluses for the wealth of kingdoms in Java such as Mataram, Majapahit and Pajajaran; and their inverse: poverty, famine, hunger, disease (to a certain extant) and Death.

I bought a book "The Art of Rice"(present for my birthday from my parents, thanks!!). More about Dewi Sri will be edit soon because there is a lot information about this in this book!

September 20, 2010

Ethnology Museum in Leiden

Wayang Golek from Cirebon (see motif on the small sarong) from beginning of the 19e century

Last weekend I went to Leiden to build up my wallpaper installation "The journey of Batik" for the Artroute. I couldn't remember the last time I was in Leiden, it's a really beautiful city with a typical Dutch atmosphere.
When I was finished at the Scheltema Complex I went to the Museum Volkenkunde (Ethnology Museum). I always try to go to museums when I'm in a city and have some spare time. This museum is really great, it has beautiful old things from all over the world, and a large part of the things are from Indonesia.

I made a lot of photos to share with you all, enjoy!


Overview of the Batiks in museum collection



From Banyumas, Jawa Tengah, detail a kain panjang from before 1878



From Banyumas, Jawa Tengah, detail a kain panjang from before 1878



From Banyumas, Jawa Tengah, detail a kain panjang from before 1878



From Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia, before 1958, party clothing made of tree bark



From Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia, before 1901, Painting on tree bark



From Sumatra Utara, Indonesia, before 1889, Pustaha ( priest book) made of tree bark and leather, writings are called Kawi



From Kalimatan Barat, Indonesia, before 1893, to cover up food, I would like one to cover up my ricecarpets



Tree Bark art from Fiji. This one is made in 1973 to celebrate the first birthday of Pauline



To paint the bark they sometimes use templates



More info about the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden on www.rmv.nl