Residency
REFLEKT Residency
Four artists, researchers, dancers/choreographers from Southeast Asia will work and engage with their respective art scene and public in Berlin and Cologne.
Focusing on shared artistic production, reception and reflection, the Goethe-Institut Southeast Asia initiates and co-organises REFLEKT residency as a platform to connect, exchange ideas, collect impulses, work in a new cultural context, and to draw on a variety of new inspirations.
In REFLEKT’s second year, the selected participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste will again expand their research, develop a concept/prototype, build a project, or create artwork conjointly with the hosting organization and local communities during the period of residency between 2 September to 29 November 2024.
TANZFAKTUR – COLOGNE
TanzFaktur, one of the most important independent production and performance venues for contemporary Dance in Cologne will be the host of two artists:
Ethel Deidre Daniel, a choreographer from Borneo, explores the cultural connections between Malaysia and Germany during her residency. She will experiment with different movement styles, like contact improvisation, and reimagine traditional dance forms in new ways.
Siska Aprisia plans to explore themes of migration and cultural adaptation during her residency by drawing on her deep knowledge of Silek Ulu Ambek, a traditional martial art from West Sumatra. Her work will blend her understanding of Ulu Ambek with the stories of migrants in Germany, focusing on how cultural identity and adaptation shape human movement.
SAVVY CONTEMPORARY – BERLIN
A public & independent place for artistic organization as well as discursive platform, Berlin-situated Savvy Contemporary will host two REFLEKT residents:
Otniel Tasman’s project focuses on exploring and challenging colonial legacies through cross-cultural and cross-oceanic exchanges. Centered around the theme of "Decolonial Trans-Oceanic Cultural Exchange," the project aims to uncover new forms of expression in cross-gender arts, drawing from ancestral knowledge.
Inu Bere is developing a multi-faceted art project during his residency that focuses on the concept of freedom. Drawing from his experiences as a contemporary artist from Timor-Leste, his project, "A Homage to the Exercise of Freedom," looks at freedom beyond the physical or geographical.
After completing the residency, ideally, the residents would continue their work and present them in their city of origin with the local Goethe-Institut as a host.
OTNIEL TASMAN
a choreographer and practitioner of Lengger, a cross-gender art form from Banyumas, is committed to gender justice and the wisdom of Lengger. Otniel’s work blends traditional and contemporary approaches, and he founded the Jagad Lengger Festival to preserve and promote Banyumas' cultural heritage. In 2021, Otniel published "Lengger is My Religion", a book that explores Otniel’s experiences as a Lengger practitioner.
ETHEL DEIDRE DANIEL
a Dusun dancer and choreographer from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, holds a Diploma and Bachelor of Dance with Honors in Choreography from ASWARA. Her notable works include Don't Slam the Door, Levithere, and Boo-die-yuck, the latter earning her the Artistic Director's Award at Short + Sweet Dance 2022. Ethel's dance film Levithere was featured in the Mobile Dance Film Festival 2021.
SINORINO BERE DE JESUS
known as Inu Bere, is an emerging contemporary artist from Aileu, Timor-Leste. With a degree in Visual Arts from the University of Vale do Paraíba in Brazil, Inu's work spans engraving, painting, installation, and performance. He has exhibited internationally and leads Projeto Montanha, an NGO focused on Art, Education, and Tourism.
SISKA APRISIA (born 1992, Pariaman, Indonesia)
holds a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts and a Master's in Dance Creation from Institut Seni Indonesia Padangpanjang. Her work, rooted in Ulu Ambek Silat and personal journeys, spans dance, theater, film, and installation. Active as a dancer, choreographer, lecturer, and arts festival consultant, Siska's work has been featured at Artjog, Sasikirana Dance Camp, and internationally.