HUTAN

(2023)
Interactive Audio-Visual Installation;
Fabric, metal, lights, microphones, video projections, found objects

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HUTAN means “forest” in Bahasa Melayu and Indonesia. Hutan is also an anagram of tahun (”time”), tuhan (”God”) and hantu (”spirits”)! In this way, forests, time, the sacred and the spiritual are all connected!

Forests take centuries to grow. Many cultures believe forests are sacred, and are home to spirits. Malay folklore is full of stories about spirits who care for the forest and those who live in it. In Malay culture, trees are sometimes respected as sacred places. Other cultures speak of the “tree of life,” which connects humans with heaven and earth.

Enter HUTAN’s Tree of Life and forest floor. What lies beyond what we can see? Take your time and wander around the space carefully. Listen to the rhythms of life, and then listen to the sounds that we ourselves make as we move. Like a baby in our mother’s belly, inside the Tree of Life, can you feel the heartbeat of our universe?

Collaborator:
Lynette Quek, LittleCr3atures