About the event
Join performers Ria Soemardjo, Sekar Sari, and Eka Poedijono in a contemplative weaving of song, music, and movement, presented as a ceremonial response to the history and legacy of the Gamelan Digul. Drawing inspiration from the stories of Indonesian political prisoners exiled to the Boven Digul camp in Papua, the performance reflects on how artistic practice can become a vessel for memory, survival, dignity, and human connection in times of displacement and oppression.
Created from improvised materials within the isolation of the prison camp, the Gamelan Digul stands as a profound testament to cultural endurance and collective resilience. More than a musical instrument, it became a lifeline — sustaining community, spiritual strength, and a sense of humanity amidst conditions designed to sever people from their homes, histories, and identities.
Through voice, rhythm, and embodied gesture, the performers respond to these histories not through reenactment, but through an act of listening and remembrance. The work invites audiences into a shared space of reflection on cultural survival and the enduring power of artistic expression to carry memory across generations and borders.
This performance honours the makers of the Gamelan Digul and their unwavering dedication to maintaining cultural connection, creative spirit, and dignity in the face of profound hardship.
Programmed in conjunction with Sriwhana Spong: HA HA HA, showing at MUMA until 27 June 2026.
Image: Bapak Pontjopangrawit (and Javanese prisoners), Gamelan Digul 1926. Collection of The Music Archive of Monash University, Naarm/Melbourne. Sriwhana Spong, Ida-Ida 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Lett Thomas, Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau. Installation view, Sriwhana Spong: HA HA HA, Monash University Museum of Art, Naarm/Melbourne, 2026. Photo: Andrew Curtis.
Performers
Sekar Sari
Sekar Sari is an actor, dancer, and researcher from Java, currently based in Naarm. She is undertaking a PhD at the University of Melbourne, where her project, Indigenous Intercultural Bodies: Rasa in Indonesian Dance Film, explores performance, embodiment, and intercultural cinema through Indonesian dance film. Her work centres on rasa—an Indonesian aesthetic, affective, and embodied mode of knowing—and unfolds across movement, screen practice, and cultural diplomacy. Sekar holds an International Master’s degree in Dance Knowledge, Practice, and Heritage, and has received acting awards including Best Performance on Silver Screen at the Singapore International Film Festival and Best Actress at the Usmar Ismail Awards.
Ria Soemardjo
Ria Soemardjo is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Naarm, with a passion for collaborating with artists across artforms and cultures. Her haunting vocal style and mesmerising soundscapes reflect her Australian/Indonesian cultural heritage and her fascination for Javanese and Balinese gamelan traditions. Ria has created and performed music for wide range of independent contemporary dance, theatre and mixed media projects in Australia and Asia, and continues to perform for Indonesian community events as solo vocalist and instrumentalist. Ria's site responsive projects integrate movement and sound to invite audiences into powerful, and often spontaneous contemporary rituals.
Eka Poedijono
Born in Bali, Dwipa Ekasari Poedijono (Eka) moved to Australia at the age of three with her parents, after her father was invited to teach Javanese gamelan, dance, and puppetry at Monash University. Growing up in a household steeped in artistic tradition, with a father deeply involved in Javanese performing arts and a mother who was a Balinese dancer, Eka naturally gravitated toward the cultural richness of both Java and Bali.
Immersed in Indonesian traditions from an early age, Eka honed her skills in the performing arts, taking part in diverse cultural events across Melbourne, and more recently many performances by Gamelan DanAnda. Eka is a community leader; she currently serves on the board of Gamelan Dananda and is the Chair of Balinese cultural organisation Anandam Graha.
Today, Eka’s focus lies in exploring the spiritual philosophies of music and dance, seeking to grasp the essence of creation in a contemporary context. Through this work, she aims to share the depth of Indonesian wisdom with wider communities, fostering harmony, connection, and cultural understanding.