Curators’ and Contributors’ Talk

Drawing from philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah’s reflection that the question “Where are you from?” often really asks “What are you?”, this curator's talk frames identity as an intimate yet deeply complex inquiry. KAMU DARI MANA? approaches identity as something unstable, plural, and continuously negotiated—particularly within Southeast Asian diasporic and exilic experiences.
 
Positioned as an “intimate investigation of identity” that is deliberately crossed out, the program challenges fixed or mistaken notions of identity. It unfolds through a constellation of practices—reading and listening sessions, sound and theatrical performances, flower arrangements, dance, rituals, cooking experiments, shared meals, karaoke, and participatory gatherings—inviting sensory, collective, and embodied ways of knowing.
 
Distance is proposed not as separation, but as a method: a condition that can foster connection, solace, and solidarity. By approaching distance from overlooked angles, the program acknowledges the multiplicity of stories within Southeast Asian diasporas, rejecting any single or dominant narrative. It emphasizes the plurality and hybridity of cultural identities, amplifies marginalized voices, and reclaims “home” as something fluid, practiced, and collectively made.
 
Speakers:
Red Nguyen Hai Yen, Regional Curator of Dealing in Distance Festival and initiator of the concept, in conversation with local collaborators Wayan Sumahardika and Savitri Sastrawan, and contributor Gatari Surya Kusuma