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Taihen Troupe-The Spirit of Kim Manri : "Howl under the Moon"; the Spirit of Kim Manri ! 
 by Agnes Gurning


A mother wolf chooses to eat her child for her own survival. A witch woman abandons her past and wanders in searching for a new abode. A girl, who is so in love, places her faith completely in it. Those are some scenes presented in a dance piece titled "Howl under the Moon".
 
The "Howl under the Moon" in essence expresses a woman's subconscious desire to live an independent life as her own. Living under a patriarchal supremacy has originated the women's aspiration for liberation.  
 
The idea of women's liberation might sound average for an art performance. What makes the "Howl under the Moon" remarkable is that it is performed by an outstanding performer. There is this lady named Kim Manri, who will present this solo staging. Kim Manri was born in 1953 in Japan, to a Korean artist father. When she was 3, she became disabled as she suffered from polio then.
 
Since 1983 Kim Manri has delved deeply into physical performances with her unique viewpoint as a disabled person. She uses disabled body to create unique expressions and movements that the 'normal' persons can't do. For her, disability itself can be transformed into a rich source of physical art. "When a disabled body itself turns into expression, the never-seen beauty can be created" she says.
 
Kim Manri's performances have been appreciated by various figures. Towards the "Howl under the Moon", a fellow artist in Japan, Yoshito Ohno, says  "In recent years, both vigor and tenderness have been found in Kim Manri's dance. When she moves, her soul leaps out from deep within the body. The external and internal elements come out freely with each other. She flowers into the universe itself. An excellence piece."
 
With some other disabled art performers, Kim Manri established a group called TAIHEN. Kim Manri and TAIHEN have held its performances around the world. This time Kim Manri is holding the "Howl under the Moon" in Jakarta, Indonesia. It takes place in Teater Kecil, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) on January 30 and 31, 2008. ***

Taihen Troupe-The Spirit of Kim Manri

Henri Ismail

"Howl under the Moon"; the Spirit of Kim Manri !   by Agnes Gurning ...

Updated: Feb 02, 2008 4:34am PST

Fires : The destruction of over 1700 houses shuck the people of California during the wildfires in San Diego in 2007.  After review of many of the houses I kept these pictures and changed the color to be mixed color and black and white.

Fires

winkstudios

The destruction of over 1700 houses shuck the people of California dur ...

Updated: Jan 20, 2008 11:36pm PST

Personal Exposures : Personal Exposures 2007

Personal Exposures

Henri Ismail

Personal Exposures 2007

Updated: Jan 19, 2008 3:21am PST

"Ciliwung Riverside" : Ciliwung Riverside is my long term project. It is about peoples living along the Ciliwung river. 
.....on going project.....

"Ciliwung Riverside"

Henri Ismail

Ciliwung Riverside is my long term project. It is about peoples living ...

Updated: Jan 18, 2008 11:42pm PST

Jakarta Theater Festival 2007 : Jakarta Theater Festival is the biggest and oldest amateur theater festival in Indonesia. This annual event was conducted for the first time 35 years ago, targeting at the newly emerged theater groups. This year, the theme taken was "Reality and the Theater Stage", participated by 18 groups performing various scripts related to the theme.  

During the Suharto's administration (New Order regime) this festival was used by the government as a media to control young artists.  It was only since 2 years ago, that the organization of the festival  was turned back to the Jakarta Arts Council. Hence, the artists tend to choose critical social issues to play.

Jakarta Theater Festival 2007

Henri Ismail

Jakarta Theater Festival is the biggest and oldest amateur theater fes ...

Updated: Jan 05, 2008 3:08am PST

Experimented City : Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, as i see.

On going project

Experimented City

Henri Ismail

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, as i see. On going project

Updated: Dec 17, 2007 7:05am PST

Almost Ten Years-Still Hope : 1997/1998 ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE

In 1997 a huge economic crisis hit some Asian countries including Indonesia. In Indonesia this economic crisis then led to a political crisis. Pioneered by the student, the people’s movements then emerged and grew everywhere. They demanded the price decrease, procurement of basic goods, and more over, an end to Suharto’s presidency. The movements became bigger in early 1998. This situation was considered danger by the authority. Through its military bodies, they then took measures to ‘secure’ and ‘control’ the situation, including abducting persons deemed as ‘provocateurs’ of the movements. It was found out that a number of pro-democracy activists suddenly disappeared in early 1998. After a quite some time, some of them then surfaced and the rest remain missing. Later, the surfaced victims testified that they were kidnapped by the apparatus and were detained in a secret military camp or police station. In those detention centers, they were tortured while being interrogated. 

These photo series show the portraits of families of those who are still missing: Widji Thukul (Thukul), Bimo Petrus Anugrah (Bimo), Suyat, and Leonardus Gilang Nugroho (Gilang). The families feel an eternal misery because of loosing their loved ones. However, on the other side, they also have a hope to find whereabouts of their loved ones and achieve justice for them; and this hope is never die. 

Thukul was a well known progressive poet. His used his revolutionary poems to encourage people to fight. He married a woman named Dyah Sudjirah (as known as Sipon). Through this marriage they have one daughter and one son. After Thukul disappeared, Sipon raised her children alone. To earn money, she became a tailor. She lives in Solo, Central Java.

Bimo Petrus Anugerah (Bimo) was a student activist when he disappeared. Although he studied and lived in East Java, he was abducted in Jakarta during his activities there. Bimo left his siblings and parents, Mr. and Mrs. Utomo, in Malang, East Java. His families still have a hope that they will find Bimo one day.

Like Bimo, Suyat also was a student activist when he was abducted in his friend’s house in Sragen, Central Java. He was the most intelligent and educated one among his siblings. Suyat’s brothers work as carpenter. His mother has separated from his father. 

Gilang was a street musician who was also active in the movement. Last time he left home, he asked permission from his mother and told her that he had gotten a job offer in other city. Since then, there was no news about him until his body finally found dead, few days after he disappeared. However, there has no adequate legal process been made to deliver justice over the case. Both of his parents work as tailor in Solo, Central Java. 
***

Almost Ten Years-Still Hope

Henri Ismail

1997/1998 ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE In 1997 a huge economic crisis hit ...

Updated: Nov 02, 2007 12:17am PST

Steve-Katie Playboy pool@Zack's w/cats :

Steve-Katie Playboy pool@Zack's w/cats

wily

Updated: Jun 19, 2007 3:29pm PST

Katrina Images :

Katrina Images

Rick Guy

Updated: Feb 01, 2007 7:49am PST

061114 Animal Lab Demo :

061114 Animal Lab Demo

Andrew Hutton (andyhutton)

Updated: Jan 15, 2006 11:48am PST