From August 2 till 13 I’ll be staying in Kuching, Malaysia working with the Borneo Art Collective. Wendy Teo, BAC-curator, invited me to be part of the Borneo-Laboratory : a series of workshops and events going on in August 2017, involving artists from Borneo and abroad.
This is an amazing opportunity for me to explore, exchange and network with indigenous people and artists. Together we want to turn this cultural and musical experience into creative content. I’ll be taking part in different events for example a Pecha Kucha night, a film documentation workshop and rehearsal sessions in the nature. The highlight of the residency will be a duo concert for sape and cello I’ll give with Alena Murang.
o1 – Borneo-Lab screening Night
5th of August, 2017
7:30 PM -9:30 PM
Entry Fee: RM 15
Location: The CHARCOAL – 16, For Batu Lintang 18
93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
“This 2 hours event is an opening event for Borneo Laboratory workshop project. We will share: the premiere of Borneo Art Collective 15 mins Documentary film, a screening night of BAC Pan Borneo Road Trip Interview videos and a Pecha Kucha session of participating artists.”
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02 – Borneo-Lab music Night, When Sape meets Cello
11th of August, 2017
7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Entry Fee: RM 15
Location: The CHARCOAL – 16, For Batu Lintang 18
93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
“This concert is an explorative conversation on musical languages, traditions and influences between the Borneo Art Collective, Céline Papion (France) and Alena Murang (Malaysia). After 10 days of exploring and discovering nature, music and the culture of Borneo, the French cellist Céline Papion will meet the Bornean sape player Alena Murang.
Alena performs and interprets the traditional music of the Kelabit and Kenyah people of Borneo. Céline, trained as a classical musician in Europe, explores the experimental potential of the cello. Different countries and different cultures, but the same aim: sharing stories through music.
The spirit of Bornean music is strongly connected to nature. Alena and Céline will be sharing and learning each others musical language live in open-air sessions. By rehearsing outside, the natural context is meant to influence and inspire their work. The result of this exploration is a series of songs and pieces created for this special evening only.
The concert is complemented by the premiere of a piece written by the American composer Joseph Michaels. “Bäch in Borneo” was written especially for Céline and her journey to Borneo. Through a collage of quotations of J.S. Bach’s music mixed with sounds from Borneo’s political, natural and musical worlds, the work suggests a narrative in which a Western musician is changed through her interaction with a foreign culture.”
Click here to know more about…
Borneo Art Collective
Alena Murang, Sape player & artist
Joseph Michaels, composer