The Volcano Trilogy is a multidisciplinary project by Choy Ka Fai, who continues to expand his curiosities in dance, technology and human culture. Following the success of his cosmic wander series ( 2020- 2024), which extrapolated on the vibrations of the body in dance and trance culture, the Volcano Trilogy is inspired by the vibration of the Earth, at the intersections of romantic geology, militancy and mystical studies through dance traditions.
The Volcano Trilogy think about our relationship with the earth: how ecology and cosmology intertwines, from creation stories to climate stories, it seeks the decentering of human ideology in the narrative of the world. The Volcano Trilogy will weaves together cultures of dance and resistance to speculate into the future – a kind of future that is rapidly shifting towards the global South.
In the book - The Origin of German Tragic Drama, Walter Benjamin talks about the concept of ruins as a form of allegory, suggesting that both involve a process of stripping away the superficial to facilitate the seeking of deeper truths. The evidence of ruins reflects how visual representation and narrative can be constructed. I am interest in the concept of ruins as a creative forces to disrupt the notions of time and the weight of history, Maybe it is possible to confront the future that is both melancholic and potentially transformative, where we can constructs meaningful dialogues, attuned to the ghosts of the Anthropocene.
For centuries, Merapi (volcano of fire) has provided precious deposits of rich minerals from the center of Java. Its soils and stones are excavated and used as building blocks of new cities, supporting the livelihoods of its people. The economic benefits are filtered through a persistent culture of corruption, which is widely known yet remains an unspoken subject. Nature’s gift of abundant resources fuelled the rise of Indonesia to become the world’s 7th largest economy today, it will continue to be propelled by the nickel boom, entering into the next decade’s focus on green energy and Chinese electric vehicles.
The study of geology in Java was initially developed by the colonial Dutch East India Company in the 1600s for the search of precious metal reserves. However, their scientific methodology did not escape the Javanese tradition of mystic narratives, where earthly stories would be intertwined with cosmic tales. Known as the Mountain of Fire, the Merapi is both a cosmic and emotional being, housing a spectrum of spirits, presence and belief systems. A mountain is not just a mountain, it is a place of endangered human cultures.
In the vicinity of the Volcano, there is a unique Indonesian folk dance that existed for centuries. It is names as Kubro Siswo (The Great Disciple). ‘Kubro’ means ‘great’ and ‘Siswo’ means ‘disciple’, referring to students who have great devotion to God. The music draws from the tradition of Arabic literary epic poems, however, the lyrics are improvised with evangelistic Muslim teachings.
Local Folktales tells the story of resistance soldiers, led by Prince Diponegoro against the Dutch in the Java War from 1825 and 1830. After losing the war, these soliders have disbanded around Merapi, most have settled in the valley of present-day Magelang, where the largest Indonesian military academy is situated today. The spirits of the Javanese and their colonisers would linger in the Kubro Siswo dance; it has evolved into a vernacular communal gathering that gives voice to ordinary people and the working class. It serves as a platform to express a wide range of issues, ranging from ancestral roots and Islamic teachings, to climate change and even, the current conflict in Gaza.
The Volcano Trilogy is envisioned as a cinematic dance film, a visual art exhibition and a contemporary dance performance.
Kiri Kanan Kiri (Left Right Left) is a dance performance inspired by the vibrations of the earth, weaving together the ideas of romantic geology, militancy and mystical studies. The performance is an invitation to reflect on the humanitarian crisis of our times and a timely reminder to dance with empathy.
"The Culture of Catastrophe, comes with a cycles of ruptures and recoveries for the people, where sublime resistance emerges from the ruins of time " ---- Book of Sapuangin 1041 BC
Volcanic Bestiary is a series of four cinematic mask dance, created as a form of speculative storytelling, blending ideas of romantic geology and fakelores of the Volcanos. These cyberpunk mythic beast explores the dramaturgy of ecology and cosmology, seeking for liminal spaces in the scientific rendering of the Earth.
The first Mask Dance is a mythical lion (Singo Sapuangin) with a peacock on its head. Its origin is traced back to the Javanese trance dance ritual of Reog Ponorogo. Singo Sapuangin is a half man half lion creature drawing inspiration from the Hindu deity Bhairava , in the tantric tradition of guarding against negative influence and evil spirit. It signifies a powerful manifestation of fierce energy and protective forces for the villagers living around the Volcano .
Their local folktale understands the culture of catastrophe simply about knowing when to leave and return, to receive their gift of nature from the volcano. They call it “Petruk Kantong Bolong” philosophy loosely translated as - The royal Jester having a pocket with a hole, let it pass through and pick it up later.
The Stone Crusher is an expedition into liminal spaces of broken dimension, a space where ancestral spirits are gentrified from their natural habitats. It is inspired by the studies of extractive human histories and the economy of rare earths. The constellation is composed of immersive moving images, mythical musing and investigative documentary work.
The story of the expedition begins at the ancient forest near the crater of a volcano. To the north lies a plateau of rock formation where common spirits and deities gather. To the south is the spiritual gateway, which leads to a realm of the invisible – a palace of kings and high priests who govern the harmony of the cosmos. In these forests, lava has never spread its fire; it always flows to the east or to the west. Thus the forest became a portal for truth seekers - where many who enter this realm may never return, but they are seduced by the lure of searching…maybe for something that we all do not understand yet.
The Stone Crusher is an opera of ecology, a dance of romantic geology and a lamentation of the sacred.