Ariel Orah and Asarela Dewi are Berlin-based Indonesian audio-visual artists who have been collaborating under the sōydivision artist group since 2020. Their joint projects explore diverse narratives rooted in their diasporic experiences, touching on themes such as identity transformation, displacement, and socio-environmental injustice. Their work takes various forms, including audio-visual installations, cinematic performances, and experimental theatre pieces.
HALU (2020)
Presented at Unity, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
This immersive short film is a meditation on displacement, memory, and identity, conveyed through a striking juxtaposition of imagery and sound. Seen through the eyes of an individual uprooted from their past, the film explores the quiet tension between nostalgia and adaptation, between the echoes of a life left behind and the inescapable rhythm of the present.
As the protagonist navigates the mundane motions of daily existence—footsteps on pavement, the hum of a city, the solitude of a dimly lit apartment—these seemingly insignificant moments gain profound weight. Fragmented memories intertwine with present realities, blurring the line between past and present, between longing and belonging. The use of contrasting visual textures and soundscapes under
As the protagonist navigates the mundane motions of daily existence—footsteps on pavement, the hum of a city, the solitude of a dimly lit apartment—these seemingly insignificant moments gain profound weight. Fragmented memories intertwine with present realities, blurring the line between past and present, between longing and belonging. The use of contrasting visual textures and soundscapes under
MMONEY (2024)
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AKKULTURASA Trillogy (2023)
Presented at Kunstraum Kreuzberg (Bethanien), Novilla Gallery, Ufferstudios Berlin, Gallery am Körnerpark, Impuls Festival für Neue Musik Leipzig 2023, Valby Kulturhaus Copenhagen, Triennale Milano.
AKKULTURASA Trilogy is a three-part multimedia installation and performance initiated by Ariel Orah and Asarela Dewi under the umbrella of the sōydivision artist group. The trilogy consists of "Pedas Jadi Identitas?" (Spicy as Identity?), "Puisi Rasa: The Taste Poetry," and "Spora."
At its core, Akkulturasa delves into the intricate dynamics of acculturation, drawing from the exchange and fusion of cultural elements across diverse communities. Through this exploration, the work reflects on the pressures, challenges, and transformative power of cultural adaptation. Over time, it has evolved from a multimedia installation—encompassing audio, visual, and text elements—into an immersive performance series, offering a deep reflection on collective artistic practices over the past five years.
More than just a thematic inquiry, Akkulturasa serves as a testament to the collective’s journey in navigating cultural assimilation, adaptation, and exchange. The title itself incorporates the Indonesian word "rasa," which extends beyond emotional and aesthetic experiences to include sensory perception—such as taste, temperature, and even pain—inviting audiences to explore the nuanced "tastes" of cultural engagement.
Originally developed in 2023, the project also features collaborations with sōydivision members Umi Maisaroh, Yusuf Al-Hazar, and Dea Karina.
At its core, Akkulturasa delves into the intricate dynamics of acculturation, drawing from the exchange and fusion of cultural elements across diverse communities. Through this exploration, the work reflects on the pressures, challenges, and transformative power of cultural adaptation. Over time, it has evolved from a multimedia installation—encompassing audio, visual, and text elements—into an immersive performance series, offering a deep reflection on collective artistic practices over the past five years.
More than just a thematic inquiry, Akkulturasa serves as a testament to the collective’s journey in navigating cultural assimilation, adaptation, and exchange. The title itself incorporates the Indonesian word "rasa," which extends beyond emotional and aesthetic experiences to include sensory perception—such as taste, temperature, and even pain—inviting audiences to explore the nuanced "tastes" of cultural engagement.
Originally developed in 2023, the project also features collaborations with sōydivision members Umi Maisaroh, Yusuf Al-Hazar, and Dea Karina.
AKKULTURASA 1 : "Pedas Jadi Identitas?" ("Spicy Becomes Identity?")
is an autobiographical article exploring the loss of a significant Asian identity, skill, or stereotype due to Crohn’s disease—an autoimmune condition often exacerbated by stress and trauma, including the experience of immigration. The condition ultimately led to the loss of the ability to enjoy spicy food, a deeply personal and cultural shift.
is an autobiographical article exploring the loss of a significant Asian identity, skill, or stereotype due to Crohn’s disease—an autoimmune condition often exacerbated by stress and trauma, including the experience of immigration. The condition ultimately led to the loss of the ability to enjoy spicy food, a deeply personal and cultural shift.
- Video Projection: One-channel video on Tube TV by Asarela Orchidia Dewi
- Sound, Installation, & Performance: Ariel Orah
- Text: Dea Karina
1st presentation at Novilla Gallery. Photo by Ariel Orah
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2nd presentation at Impulse Festival für Neue Musik 2023 , Techne Spere Leipzig. Photo by Herlena Majewska
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3rd presentation at Valby Kultur Haus Copenhagen.
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"Puisi Rasa"
is a pice based on a poetic exploration by Umi Maisaroh that deconstructs traditional poetry through an inventive play on words, letters, and meanings. Using only the letters from A-K-K-U-L-T-U-R-A-S-A, she crafts new words—some borrowed from German and English—forming a unique narrative that aligns with the themes of Akkulturasa. This process of linguistic deconstruction mirrors the essence of cultural adaptation, reflecting how identities evolve when exposed to new environments.
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1st presentation at Novilla Gallery. Photo by Ariel Orah
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2nd presentation at Uferstudios Berlin. Photo by Ariel Orah
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3rd presentation at Triennale Milano
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4th presentation at Gallery am Körnerpark Berlin
The third piece, "SPORA," is rooted in a poem by Yusuf Alhazar, exploring the stages of his life after moving to Germany. The poem draws a parallel between this personal journey and the early life cycle of a fungus as a spore, unfolding in three phases: (1) spread, (2) dormancy, and (3) germination.
- Text & Audio: Yusuf Alhazar
- Video Art & Sensorial Visual Installation: Asarela Orchidia Dewi
- Spatial Sound System: Ariel Orah
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second presentation at Kunstraum Kreuzberg (Bethanien). Video by Ariel Orah
first presentation at Novilla Gallery
T A H A N G U E N T A R
TAHANGUENTAR is a multi-channel sound performance and dramaturgical narrative stemming from the research we’ve been conducting since 2020 as „Jendela Sonorama“, a communal listening and lecture-performance series in which we host and present listening as a form of collective sharing and learning. In it, we both go through records and songs as snippets of personal histories that speak of larger political issues connecting our home countries (Brazil and Indonesia), trying to de-essentialize certain concepts and assumptions and play around with the idea of "national identity" and what it means to be in diaspora together. We are specifically interested in how two so-called “national rhythms,” Samba and Jaipong, have become an expression of a fabricated and fractured notion of "national identity" in Brazil and Indonesia respectively. Our endeavor lies in creating a sonic choreography of the archive by mixing different traditions – from the building blocks of Jaipong and Samba to gestures of New Music and Postmillennial Collage –, while at the same time fracturing and reassembling them anew. TAHANGUENTAR (a composite of Bahasa Indonesia and Portuguese words for “Endurance”) develops this idea into a choreographed sonic performance, which blends bits and pieces of theatrical dramaturgy with musical improvisation,electroacoustic composition, sound installaton, and archival work.
By and with Ariel William Orah & Pedro OliveiraFeaturing : Adela Maharani, Giuliana Corsi, Asarela Dewi, Bintang Manira Manik, and Marcioz
Premiere 1-12.11.2024 at Sinema Transtopia
A Sonic Choreography of the Archive
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May 2024
Bandung, Solo, São Paulo Our process for TAHANGUENTAR starts with researching national archives within the histories of Samba and Jaipong. Pedro did the research in the Discoteca Oneyda Alvarenga in São Paulo (Brazil), and I did the archive research in Lokananta-Solo and Padepokan Jaipong Jugala Bandung . We use these archives as starting points for an artistic research on the articulations of rhythm and text in Samba and Jaipong. With them, we seek to create prompts and musical ideas from these archives, which would be distributed to our constellation of satellite collaborators , which would help us create a narrative for a performance at the intersection of electroacoustic composition, sound installation, and experimental musik theater. Lokananta is Indonesia's first state-owned record label and recording studio, established in 1956 in Surakarta, Central Java. It is renowned for preserving traditional Indonesian music, producing gamelan recordings, and archiving priceless cultural treasures, while also supporting modern music artists. Padepokan Jaipong Jugala in Bandung is a cultural center dedicated to preserving and promoting Jaipongan, a traditional Sundanese dance and music style. It serves as a hub for artists to learn, perform, and innovate, blending traditional elements with contemporary influences |
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Satellite collaboration 1 : Movement and extended cinema
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1.6.07.2024
Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien Our constellation also includes bodily movement and choreography as a multimediatic dialogue with the other personas, extending and fracturing the musical narrative with a stronger visual component. For this, we plan to create a video/cinematic piece to partake in the performance as another “persona” with whom we will play as a call-and-response. For the development of this we plan to invite movement artist Giuliana Corsi (Brazil/Berlin) , Adela Maharani (Indonesian/Berlin) and a Cinematographer : Asarela Dewi (Indonesian, Berlin). |
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Satellite collaboration 2 : diasporic frequencies
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Our archival research becomes the starting point for a transnational dialogue with other musicians and artists. We plan to develop a collection of short musical ideas which would serve as a self-created archive of Samba and Jaipong snippets. These will be sent initially to two satellite collaborators with ties to South America, Southeast Asia, and Berlin, for the development of distinct sonic materials that will be played back, processed and juxtaposed by us during the performance. These collaborations will comprise one sonic persona which is part of the narrative. For this, we invited two sound artists Bintang Manira Manik (Indonesian, based in Rotterdam) and Marcioz (Brazilian, based in Berlin).
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Sense making 1 : Jedela Sonorama
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After two collaborative workshops with sound artists, movement artists, and a cinematographer, we held a special Jendela Sonorama session for this project. Framed as an "open studio," we invited audiences to witness our creative process, showcasing our research, archival materials, and ongoing collaboration. The session also included an artist talk, allowing us to gain valuable feedback from the audience.
Recording archieve of this event via ASSOY Radio :
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Building the Choreography of the Archive 1 : sonic sculpture persona
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This process began at Jendela Sonorama, where I envisioned integrating various sound snippets created with two sound artists into a sonic sculpture. These snippets were combined with self-made instruments and a kendang—an instrument central to Jaipong music. Using a touch sensor device, I could trigger and process these samples live while simultaneously playing the self-made instruments, creating a new orchestration that blends archival recordings with live performance.
In parallel, Pedro explored similar techniques, centering on the bass drum, a pivotal instrument in samba music. He utilized a transducer speaker to playback sonic snippets from the workshops, allowing the vibrations to resonate through the bass drum. This innovative approach enabled him to perform the bass drum in a dynamic, resonant manner. |
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Building the Choreography of the Archive 2 : the wording series
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Sound excerpt
excerpt 1
excerpt 2
excerpt 3
excerpt 4
Diary of TAHANGUENTAR
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Diary #tahanguentar 01
👉🏼 14.05.2024, Lokananta - Surakarta , Indonesia 📻 Back in May, i decided to jumped into spontaneous research trip (which later mutated to mini gigs tour) to South East Asia, and one of the mission is to dig dive on #tahanguentar field research in @lokanantabloc specially knowing that @iramanusantara were having temporary exhibition which focus exactly on the timeframe of my research 🧐 Even though i was truly amazed with tons of „past romantic“ and vintage aesthetics of many archives that i saw and hear, these two main after taste and curiosities echoes after back in Berlin and digested the experience 👇🏽 👉🏼 How do cultural diplomacy efforts aimed at promoting a unified national identity impact the relationship between a central government and culturally diverse regions? 👉🏼 What are the challenges of balancing national unity with regional cultural diversity in post-colonial states, and how can cultural policies both unify and alienate different ethnic or cultural groups? Some of the thoughts 💭 were spilled our and spoken in #jendelasonorama 13 open studio for #tahanguentar in @movingpoets NOVILLA back then in summer, which now available to hear via #assoyradio (LINK in Bio 👆🏽) 👉🏼 And don’t forget to witness the premiere which about to happen on 2nd and 3rd of November at @sinematranstopia 🔊🎦 TICKET link is NOW open (also link in bio 👆🏽) ✅ Ps : tons of thanxxx to @ardy_siji and @lokanantabloc for smooth access for this research trip (even to hooked up a gig afterwards at @lokanantarecordstore with @fun_k_son @maybe._.urakan @senjadalamprosa 🫶🏻 |
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#tahanguentar diary 📔 02 :
Bandung pt 1, 15-18.05.2024 🔬 On the quest of : which part of me is mine? From my family’s Indo-Chinese flavors (#yamienasinbasobabat) 🍜 to old haunts like @du_68_musik , where I spent hours digging into records in early 2000s 🎧 , and a chance encounter with an Indonesian sweet soy sauce exhibition in @imahbabaturan that sparked recalibration on identity turbulence 🏴☠️ Found my late grandfather’s box from his KNIL days—remnants of a complex colonial past and intergeneration trauma #transtraumafm shoegaze forever reverse delay stays (thanxxx @nostalgeec for Pale Saints shirt) , but toxic sonic white supremacist saints muss go (read : morrissey, etc ❌) . Ancestral fragments 👉🏼 from Om Adrian’s radio work to Persib (anti machoism) pride, and moving images from the ‘90s 🎥 To : Which part are you letting go of? |
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#tahanguentar diary 📔 03
Bandung pt 2 : 18.05.2024, padepokan @jugala_jaipongan 🫶🏻 hatur nuhun teh @mira_jugala kanggo waktos sareng ngalor ngidulna ❤️ 🔊 On the quest of 👉🏼(anti)-authenticity, re/dis-(claiming), belonging/detachment …. I remember my mom‘s jaipong class before she carried my brother on her belly..later on, these melodies also often plays on my grandma‘s cassette boombox in her small grocery store back then in singaparna, the place where we visited quite often when i was a child. This was the time when i vividly remember that radio drama and isabella from the malaysian band „search“ was on heavy rotation 📻 Later on during midschool, i remember suddenly everyone around me tends to have the atitude that Everything traditional is uncool and conservative. These familiar frequencies later replaced by MTV Alternative Nation and pointless obsession of the cutting edge 🫠 Fast forward to the after taste and post research trip digestion : 👉🏼 How one‘s can draw the line between roots and reinvention? 👉🏼 When does tradition become a dub echo, and when does it find a reverse delay again? 👉🏼 What happens to the rhythms of our past when we recalibrate them for the allure of the new—do they remain, fade, or mutate? |
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#tahanguentar diary 04 :
Berlin, from July 17th till present day 🔊🌶️ After the research 🧐 trip in May and almost two months digestion afterwards (including two workshops in between), the sense making phase began with the preparation of #jendelasonorama 13 that we dedicated for doing open studio and artist talk for this project. The idea of this sonic sculpture came after the last workshop with @manira.star and @itsmarcioz, when figuring out how to technically incorporated both bintang and marcioz sound snippets into the piece, and simultaneously embedded those narrative and questions that arise from the research phase into artistic strategies. The heart of this statue is the iconic percussive instrument from #jaipong genre called #kendang 🔊 later on i built some self made sound objects and hacked the kendang and extended it‘s sonic potential so it can trigger some samples from Bintang and Marcioz, with the help and guidance from this question: 👉🏼 What happens to the rhythms of our past when we rescallibrate them for the allure of the present —do they remain, fade, or mutate? Temporary title for this statue is Danggur (Kendang Gurita), which now included in the new installation series of #guritasuara (est 2024) 🔊✅ |
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#tahanguentar diary pt 5 :
Bochum - 1972 ⏰ Berlin 2024 ⌚️ After our #jendelasonorama 13 in @movingpoets where we dedicated it as open studio for #tahanguentar , one of the next process was to sew 🧵 🪡 various epistemic objects that emerged from the research 🧐 into fragments of dramaturgy narrative. Long story short, one of essential thing from this piece its the diaspora perspective on multiple complex themes that arise from this piece. One day when i did some digital digging, i stumbled to this singer, who used to be Indonesian diaspora who studying in late 60s/early 70s (West) Germany, and later become (sort of one hit wonder) Schlager singer. Thanks to discogs, i still be able to get one of his rare 7inch record, and really fascinated (good and bad way) with everything about it : the cover, the cheesy melancholy lyric, and specially the super exotified liner note about him written by the german records company, here the English translation: Andy Adams. With him, a touch of exoticism enters the German Schlager scene. And a voice that one will remember. Born in 1950, this talented and handsome singer was the son of a mathematics professor in Java. After finishing school, he came to Germany and is now studying civil engineering in Bochum. His goal is to build the most beautiful house in his hometown of Malang – and to be successful as a singer. Initially, he played songs from his homeland on the guitar just for his fellow students, but now he is introducing himself to a wider audience with this single. 👉🏼 one sonic gesture inspired by him will be incorporated in the piece, also if you know more info or even contact to his family in indonesia please get in touch coz the information about him in world wide web is rather limited ✅ |
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Nur-Hin (2020)
Site specific performance series in 3 different spaces in Berlin during CTM Festival Vorspiel 2020. More info : https://nurhin.soydivision.berlin/