“Salihara and a Taiwanese Dance Group Present ‘Islands,’ a Performance Exploring Body and Identity”

Jakarta – The Salihara Arts Center community once again presents a performing arts program that brings together bodily sensitivity and cross-cultural dialogue through international collaboration.

A contemporary dance performance was presented by choreographer/dancer Wang Yeu-kwn from Shimmering Production, a performing arts group from Taiwan, with the involvement of Indonesian choreographer/dancer Danang Pamungkas.

This performing arts program was staged at the Salihara Theater on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 8:00 PM local time and Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM local time. Previously, this contemporary dance performance was staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 1-3.

The artwork “Islands” itself is presented in Indonesia and is the second part of Wang Yeu-kwn’s project titled “A Trilogy – Quest of Relationships”.

The creative process began in 2019, when Wang traveled to Indonesia through the Cloud Gate Wanderers Project and met Danang Pamungkas. From that meeting, the two built an artistic conversation about the body, memory, and the island as a living space and metaphor for identity.

In this regard, the dance curator of the Salihara Community, Tony Prabowo, stated that this collaboration has artistic depth because it stems from the long relationship of two artists who were once in the same learning environment.

This performing arts collaboration, he continued, began with the meeting of two choreographers and dancers from Indonesia and Taiwan, Danang Pamungkas and Wang Yeu-kwn, who had studied together under the guidance of Lin Hwai-Min from Cloud Gate Dance Theater.

“Through various different perspectives on identity, a sense of alienation, and the ever-continuing questions about the meaning of their dance, this meeting is like getting to know a new body,” said Tony.

“Islands” is a work that not only relies on visual strength and dance technique, but also takes the audience on an inner journey about identity, alienation, the body, and the human relationship with their place of origin.

The presence of “Islands” at Salihara is important because this work not only showcases the collaboration of two artists from two cultural backgrounds, but also presents deeper questions about origins, alienation, and humanity’s effort to recognize itself.

In the hands of Shimmering Production and Danang Pamungkas, “Islands” is not treated merely as a geographical region, but as a metaphor for the body, memory, boundaries, and the possibility of mutual understanding.

Conceptually, “Islands” can be read as A Dual Encounter Between Two Islands. This work moves from the legend of a fisherman searching for his identity.

In an effort to uncover the story behind his own name, Wang Yeu-kwn sails to island nations in Southeast Asia and engages in a dialogue with Danang Pamungkas through bodily and life experiences.

The achievements and consistency of this group have yielded brilliant results, as “Islands” has also been selected as a finalist for the Bloom Prize, part of The Rose International Dance Prize 2027 organized by Sadler’s Wells, a leading dance institution in London. “Islands”, as part of the Bloom Prize finalists, will be performed in January – February 2027 in London.

Wang Yeu-kwn is a finalist for the Bloom Prize in the emerging choreographers category. This recognition makes the performance at Salihara a special opportunity for the Indonesian public to witness a work that is moving towards a wider international stage.

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