KONJO: Becoming Otherwise was developed through artistic research of the Konjo people of Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi. Culture is not treated merely as a symbol to be transposed onto the stage, but rather as a source of inquiry into how human beings shape themselves through their relationships with place, nature, community, memory, and “the other.”
The research stems from two distinct yet interconnected ways of life: the coastal Konjo community—defined by the sea, seafaring, and Phinisi boat-building—and the indigenous Kajang community, whose lives are grounded in customary law and a connection to ancestral land through Pasang ri Kajang (a set of values and customs passed down through generations among the indigenous people of Kajang). The sea serves as a way to contemplate movement, uncertainty, journey, and transformation; while the land embodies attachment, memory, and sustainability.
The word “Konjo”—understood in the context of this research as “here”—serves as the work’s conceptual point of departure. As the body moves, “here” can shift to “there.” Between sea and land, the body becomes a site of “becoming” through its relationships with other bodies, the environment, materials, and memory.
The dancer’s body is not a literal representation of the Konjo people but rather an instrument of research. The Phinisi construction process serves as a key dramaturgical device, translated into movement and inter-bodily relationships: assembling, binding, bracing, balancing, connecting, directing, and releasing. Through this process, Becoming Otherwise opens up the possibility of shifting from an initial position and allowing encounters to transform the way the body perceives itself.
Venue: Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki
Credits:
Choreographer : Densiel Lebang
Scenographer : Richard Dilian Kalipung
Performers : Daniel Setyo Pambudi, Try Anggara, Dedi Ronald Maniakori, Ucup Bakrie, Clausdios Marani, Allma Ortega (Kubo), Yanuarius Doni Elaman, Muhammad Wibowo
Music : Arham Aryadi
Lighting Designer : Deray Setiadi
Dramaturg : Helly Minarti
Production Manager : Regina Audrey Ivana Zakariah
Stage Manager : Novan Trijaya Seri Putra
Co-Produced by:
Performance Space (Australia) & Dance Nucleus (Singapore)
