Husband for a day
Made in collaboration with
Ketemu Project Space, Bali, Indonesia
Sudakara Art Space, Bali, Indonesia
Exhibition “Merayakan Murni”
17 July – 18 August 2016
Official selection Shortcutz film festival
Dutch Première, screening and Q&A
With Martin Koolhoven
De Kring, Amsterdam
October 2016
Invitation
Warmelink was invited by Ketemu Project Space in Bali to develop new work and specifically to address gender topics in Bali as well as participate in the exhibition Merayakan Murni at Sudakara Art Spacegallery, located in Sanur, Indonesia.
Merayakan Murni, was a well respected female artist, feminist and activist who made a great impact on the art and social arena in Indonesia.
About the film
In this short performative film Warmelink offers herself as a husband for a day to a Ibu Ratna who sells food at the local market in Ubud, Bali.
It is the aim of the artist to portray the thoughts, needs and wishes of Balinese women in society today and address conversations on gender. Warmelink chooses to show the friction between modernity versus history and tradition. At the same time Warmelink is exploring the position of women and women rights.
By taking over the role of a husband in this project the artist can address underlying and often invisible structures in society and give an insight in the complex power structure between men and women. The woman in the film can decide how she wishes Warmelink, as a husband, to behave. Warmelink acts out general daily routines such as helping with the cooking and selling the food at the market. These acts are documented during the process and become the final residue of the project.
As Bali, a country in transition, filled with tradition, ceremonies and social expectations Warmelink is imagining a relationship where women can choose freely without restrictions. Together with Ibu Ratna, a woman of the local community in Ubud, she strives to create and reshape moments of togetherness. It is the new bond between the women, and the artist, which enables her to get an insight in the woman's relationship, her values, wishes and needs in society today. The performance enables this without having to rely on language as a form of exchange. It is by sharing normal daily- life routines, which behold a level of intimacy, which the artist likes to explore trough performance.
Camera Traxvideo Oka Sudarsana
2nd Camera Samantha Tio
Translation Savitri Sastrawan
Support production Ketemu Project Space
The project is based on a project staged by the artist in India in 2014 during a 5 week residency in Partapur; a small town in Rajahstan. More info
Ketemu Project Space in Bali, Indonesia, aims to facilitate socially conscious interactions with communities through art and creativity. As a platform for conversations in creative exchanges with society, Ketemu provides the perfect environment for creators and researchers to connect with the culture, landscape, materials, social practices and communities of Bali.
Business and Art, awareness exchange.
At the same time the artist wants to raise awareness of socio political topics on an artistic level as well as bring the discussion into the domain of businesses and human rights organizations. It is the aim of the artist is to bring art, NGO’s and business together to collaborate and contribute to a different future together.
Art is often seen as an isolated area, away from the daily affairs of companies or social organizations. As an artist, Warmelink experience the research and experiences in her art practice to be valuable for governments, companies and organizations of many other fields. Art projects often offer different perspective and add value on stalled issues. At the same time artists can learn from business models and find common ground to be learned from both ways.
