project image
videostill by Nala Nandana
DREAMTIME AKSI REVOLUSI (REVOLUTION ACTION)

first performed on October 26, 2011
Alun-Alun Kidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
performed once in 2011

S&M

Nicola Morton and Simbi Dare

Indonesia / Australia
nicolaisgreat@gmail.com
nicolaisgreat.com/2011/11/dreamtime-with-simbi-dare-and-nicola.html

DREAMTIME AKSI REVOLUSI (REVOLUTION ACTION)
S&M

Problem: revolutionary action is needed to change the fabric dimension of society to a place where we all hold empathy and have what we need-a dreamtime dimension. S&M’s penultimate performance in Indonesia. Nicola and Simbi’s medicine cards that represent our link to above and other dimensions are the Rabbit (fear) and the Dragonfly (illusion). This performance was to transform the fears and illusions we had presented in our previous performances and use the energy to expose the world to dreamtime. We used a famous public gateway in Yogyakarta, the banyan tree gates at the Sultan’s Palace. According to tradition, if you walk from the top of the park through the middle of the gate, you will have unlimited success. Every night locals and tourists try to get through the cosmic gateway, often other musicians and people trick and distract you from getting through the gate. Dressed as the rabbit and dragonfly, we tried to make our way through the two trees. On our third attempt, we finally got to the middle and unpacked the gender (Javanese xylophone) and microphone and sang the lyrics of Atari Teenage Riot’s “Revolution Action” which we had modified and translated to Bahasa Indonesian (a language not native to the area, but a simple, universalizing language of the area). At the end we wanted to destroy the rabbit and dragonfly as they drew fears toward us and got trapped in illusion. So the rabbit was eaten by a Javanese wooden tiger puppet and the dragonfly costume was going to be burned, but at the last minute, Simbi decided to give the costume to a little girl who had watched the whole performance in the audience. Having shed our fears and illusions, we got through the gate. That night Simbi met a new friend who has tattooed on his chest, “Be Careful What You Wish For.” We drew new cards for our entrance to dreamtime, Nicola is the antelope or knowledgeable action and I am the butterfly, or projects and transformation. For Christmas Simbi performed a potlatch, or Native American ceremony in which you give away and burn all your belongings. An enormous sparkly dragonfly dive-bombed into the fire.