Panggung Dua 12. bis 19. März 2023

ABOUT

PANGGUNG DUA is a sonic and visual exploration drawing inspiration from the architecture of traditional Malay instruments, sounds, and design. Deconstructing unique frequencies and oft unheard sounds found in these instruments, the artists then combine this microtonal experimentation with acoustic and electronic manipulation, as well as audio-reactive visuals composed from digitally hand-designed motifs synonymous with Malay houses.

PANGGUNG DUA is the second phase of the project developed at 136 GOETHE LAB with Syafiq Halid (Singapore) the duo, Kicau-Bilau (Malaysia) and artistic director, Shaifulbahri Mohamad of Bahri & Co.

In this leg of the process, the artists move away from broader notions of architecture and instead, turn to the minutiae, looking into the disassembly and reassembly of their tools of the trade. In doing so, they will come together to build a panggung (or stage) of their own, in hopes of finding a sound that is unique to the Nusantara. As traditional-contemporary practitioners, the confluence of these trajectories pushes at the boundaries of their practices, while at the same time, addresses the flux and challenges that such Malay practitioners face today.

PANGGUNG is a long term project developed and led by Bahri & Co, consisting of sonic and multimedia artists alongside architects and designers from Singapore and Malaysia, exploring new collaborations between Singapore and Malaysia (and Indonesia), in hopes of developing new pathways and projects born out of the Nusantara (Malay Archipelago). The project is an ode to ‘architecture’ of the Malay world that we have lost, those that still stand today, and those that are speculations for the future. We believe that the traditional is contemporary and in hopes of preventing its demise, we see our actions as reimagining its futures.
 

PUBLIC DAYS

12 March 3 to 5pm: PANGGUNG DUA x SUBTERRANEAN TRAILS Party
3pm: PANGGUNG DUA live showcase and sharing
4pm: SUBTERRANEAN TRAILS launch
5pm: snacks

The Artists

Syafiq Halid is a manipulator of sound, electronic artist and experimental percussionist based in Singapore. He has worked in several traditional and contemporary performing arts projects regionally with various collaborators and companies at platforms like the Esplanade, National Gallery Singapore, ArtScience Museum, Nusasonic and Goethe Institute.

Drawing from sounds, aesthetics, and experiences of the Malay world, Syafiq’s compositions traverse the grey realms that exist between the traditional and the contemporary. His creations deconstruct, exploit, and reimagine these sounds, manifesting them into an experimental sonic language unique to Southeast Asia.

Kicau-Bilau is a wordplay intended as an opposite to the Malay reduplicative word “kacau-bilau” which bears the similar meaning and linguistic trait of “helter-skelter” or “topsy-turvy”. Kicau-Bilau literally translates as ‘arbitrary chirping’. The duo, Irfan & Jihan, composes on-site soundscape using guitar and angklung, chirping in the midst of the chaotic urban life. Exploring both natural and man-made sound and merging them into an emotionally engaging experience. They deploy an open-ended setting that allows their improvisation to explore infinite possibilities. Kicau-bilau often collaborates with other performing arts practitioners like dancers and poets to better showcase the rich spiritual and cultural traditions of the Nusantara.  

Bahri & Co is a producing company working in the contemporary, the traditional and everything-in-between of performance. Drawing from Arabic, Bahri means belonging to/(of) the sea. Based in Singapore and led by Shaifulbahri Mohamad, we are a port of call for artists, producers and all types of arts workers to encounter, exchange with and engage each other. We want the people we support and their ideas to make waves in the arts world through the development, creation and distribution of new stories and projects.

The Space

136 GOETHE LAB 136 GOETHE LAB is a new project space at the Goethe-Institut Singapore. Housed in the former library and reading room, the space is intended as a response to the need for physical spaces for the arts, and an ongoing conversation with the public and arts community in Singapore.

PANGGUNG DUA is the second iteration of the project with Syafiq Halid (Singapore) the duo, Kicau-Bilau (Malaysia) and artistic director, Shaifulbahri Mohamad of Bahri & Co. The first iteration of PANGGUNG was developed at 136 GOETHE LAB from 31 January to 13 February 2022, as part of the open call Project Work (PW), which invited applicants to activate the space with a group proposal.