Gathered around the campfire one hot Javanese night in the 1930s, a contingent of Dutch soldiers drunkenly sang and danced while a group of Indonesian farmer watched from afar, mimicking the men's strange, rhythmic movements. And so, Dolalak was born.
Something of a cultural constellation, Dolalak performers cosplay as Dutch military regalia for trance-like performances of traditional Javanese dance, melodic Islamic poems and songs of ancestral spirits. Popular among young Indonesian TikTok influencers who dance Dolalak to the tunes of Indonesian pop music - Dangdut Koplo - the ritual reverberates from within a deeply layered history.
The same rich source resulted in an Indonesian band being hailed as the greatest live act in mid-century Europe some 20 years after the development of Dolalak. Following the Dutch failure to re-invade Indonesia after the Second World War, a number of Dutch-speaking Indonesian musicians, primarily from the Maluku Islands, were exiled to the Netherlands. In the same way that Dolalak rose from a colonial crash of cultures, Indo-Rock emerged in the 1950s/1960s when these musicians began to meld Western, Indonesian and Kroncong (a specific genre in Indonesia played on Portuguese-introduced instruments) music. This fusion gave rise to leading bands like the Tielman Brothers, who reached stardom as icons of Dutch and West German rock 'n' roll.
In Exodus, the Dewi Arum Girls (TikTok stars) dance Dolalak to a remix of the Tielman Brothers, meditating on the colonial resonances that linger, as if they were spirits, in the vibrations of Dolalak, Indo-Rock and contemporary digital culture.
Exodus [18:52mins] Single Channel Video UHD - A production of Choy Ka Fai. Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous assistance from Goethe-Institut Australia. The 24th Biennale of Sydney, titled Ten Thousand Suns [9 March -10 June 2024] is curated by co-artistic directors Cosmin Costinaş and Inti Guerrero.
Concept and Direction: Choy Ka Fai/ Music: Raja Kirik with Vocalist Silir Wangi/ Dewi Arum Dancer: Diah Hikwmawati, Indri Yani, Puspita Sari/ The White Man: Tammo Walter/ Production Management & Transaltions : Sekar Handayani/ Cinematorgraphy and Technical Direction: Hanata KWP/ Costume Design & Choreographic Consultation: Ucup Muhamad Yusup/ Lighting Design and Techincal Support: Joe Tegar with Bobby Ramadhan/ Music Experts: Mas Joko Gombloh & Erie Setiawan/ Special Thanks: Tamares Goh, Jezlyn Tan, Pak Tambah Eko Untoro, Dewi Arum Dolalak Banjarnegaram, Panawaren head of village, Pison Hotel Wonosobo, Wajib Ardianto, Ibu Bisrih, Bapak Ngari, Mas Jito & Mbak Simar.