Keturunan
When I was approached by Cheroney Pelupessy for the Keturunan project and was asked to create a new image based on selected photos from the dance group's family archive, it felt like a project that was tailor-made for me. The Keturunan project consists of a dance performance, documentary, and photo exhibition.
Each individual has their own family story, and the selected photos are diverse. Nevertheless, these archival photos and the stories behind them are very interconnected. The common denominator is family, connection, weaving together of stories and cultures, a desire to gain a better understanding of the family story, the nostalgia that an archival photo evokes, (grand)parents as role models, the pride felt for what they had to endure, and the intergenerational trauma that persists in a new generation.
Keturunan, or descendants, are a fusion of two individuals, of two stories. She chose to intertwine two images; from the past and the present, and in this way, let the story merge and continue the dialogue between the past and present.
Dancers and their archival footage:
Melissa Damayanti
Sascha Lekatompessy
Mezack Sahetapy
Simon Mual
Cheroney Pelupessy
Moya Wenno