EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE BETWEEN |
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As a result of my time in Indonesia, I have gained extensive insight into the effectiveness of cross-cultural dialogue between artists and non-artists alike to challenge common misunderstandings and misperceptions of others. I have subsequently begun to develop a particular methodology using new media in an interactive way that can stimulate cross-cultural dialogue. Through the Kebaya and Tamasya Kebaya are two of a series of video performance works that form part of a cross-cultural project undertaken in Indonesia and Australia during 2002-2004. The project utilises the kebaya – traditional blouse for women in Indonesia – as a tool for exploring constructions of cultural identity in particular in relation to aspects of the ‘feminine’. The two works presented here have resulted from interactive workshops in which individuals in both Indonesia and Australia respond to the ‘kebaya’. The work
begins with an exploration of the multiple meanings and nuances of the
kebaya. The kebaya begins to operate as a doorway for examining the processes
of cultural change and exchange within the ‘cultures of ownership’
such as within Indonesia. In addition it begins to trigger a broader dialogue
concerning formations of identity of the so-called ‘other’
when the work is also constructed outside of Indonesia, such as in Australia. Victoria Cattoni |