heimwee / ridu

“Heimwee / Riḍu” is a multimedia installation for gamelan automaton, surround sound and light by composers Jelmer de Haan and Bilawa Ade Respati, and lighting designer Nindya Nareswari. The work is inspired by a historical narrative at the end of Dutch colonial rule during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942–1945). The installation tells a story about “longing for a home that does not exist (anymore).” Indonesian poets and modernists long for an imagined independent homeland; the Dutch placed in internment camps faced hardships that are contrasted with their colonial life.
Given the colonial relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia in the past, history is written differently by each nation. Memories were selected, events were interpreted: which version of history can we agree upon? By whom is that agreement made? Can we deny the genuine longing for a home that everyone feels? How does this reflect on our current world situation? The audience is invited to experience the stories through a combination of multichannel soundscapes, self-playing gamelan and a light installation.
The work is made possible with the kind support of Errant Sound, Haus der Indonesischen Kulturen in Berlin, and the Project Space Festival Berlin.