KAMI / 神 by Irfan Kasban

KAMI / 神 (Us/ Gods) delves into how tourism inevitably changes sacred spaces, holy sites, and the faces of the otherworldly beings that inhabit them.

Gathering inspiration from the poetry of Farid ud-Din Attar – Conference of the Birds and drawing from the themes and narratives explored in Pragmatic Prayers for the Kala at the Threshold, in this reinterpretation, the Simurgh, a wandering deity, finds that he has trouble constructing his own image. He is pulled through the ebb and flow of believers of varying faiths and non-believers alike.

The performance involves Irfan inhabiting the spaces of the worlds between the hills, land and sea while seeking to find his image on reflective surfaces, including the audiences’ eyes.

Presented as a durational, multidisciplinary performance, the piece has elements of Butoh, Viewpoints, physical theatre, performance art. Performed in Malay, with English and Japanese surtitles. Duration of each performance is approximately 30 minutes,