WESTERN FRONT – Contemporary Shadow Performance

Description:

While in residence at Western Front, Heri Dono developed Contemporary Shadow Performance, a fifty-minute performance that pushed traditional Indonesian wayang elements into a contemporary setting. It featured live music from Gamelan Madu Sari and musical direction by Sutrisno Hartana. Shadow puppetry was performed behind a screen while costumed performers embodied the storytelling with choreographed and ritualistic movement on stage.

The puppets combined historical leather cutout designs with modern large-scale creations in new forms and colours. The screen utilized a classic shadow play setting alongside projection of contemporary images and visuals.

Presented with Centre A.

Video documentation is available upon request.

In a darkly lit Grand Luxe Hall, a cutout dragon stands up to the ceiling, with green beings floating down in parachutes. A white rug covers the floor, and at the centre sits a wooden lectern.

In the Grand Luxe Hall, three musicians sit and talk around five bright green gamelans. Surrounding them is a grand piano in the background and other musical instruments.

In the Grand Luxe Hall, two musicians sit surrounded by four bright green gamelans, with a grand piano and kulintang in the background. One musician types on a computer and many other instruments sit on the floor.

In the Grand Luxe Hall, two people stand at a desk with papers sprawled across.

Related People

Centre A (Partner)

Related Events

2002

Heri Dono in Residence

Captions:

Puppet by Heri Dono for Contemporary Shadow Performance at Western Front (2002).
Sutrisno Hartana and Gamelan Madu Sari musicians at Western Front (2002).
Gamelan Madu Sari musicians at Western Front (2002).
Sutrisno Hartana and Heri Dono at Western Front (2002).

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.