Palm to Palm
Massage and Story Telling
2022
Massage performance
Part of Ecological Thinking, Radar Visiting Artist Programme
Institute of Advance Studies, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Produced for Radar by Laura Purseglove
Academic collaborator:
Peter Yeandle
Material:
Camphor balm (Tiger Balm)
Performance Duration:
2 hours
Photos:
Koa Pham
This performance is part of a wider project exploring the history of dryobalanops aromatica, a critically endangered species of Camphor tree once widespread in Sumatra. Caniago's research has led him to dryobalanops aromatica specimens from Indonesia at Kew Gardens archive and herbarium, where they held the leaves and seeds of this tree - which holds great significance in his community.
This particular form of massage comes from the artist's childhood with his grandmother as a way for him to listen to stories from his grandmother about the history of the family and family roots. Weaving together storytelling, personal and collective memory, Caniago revealed connections between migration, colonisation and ecology as he delivers massage activities to the audience. [Laura Purseglove]
The works re-performed at:
Koppel Project Hive, London: The Lost and the Remained, curated by An.other Asian (2022)
Palm to Palm Performance, China Exchange UK, London, curated by An.Other Asian (2022)
Interim Show, MA Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths University of London (2023)
Part of Ecological Thinking, Radar Visiting Artist Programme
Institute of Advance Studies, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Produced for Radar by Laura Purseglove
Academic collaborator:
Peter Yeandle
Material:
Camphor balm (Tiger Balm)
Performance Duration:
2 hours
Photos:
Koa Pham
This performance is part of a wider project exploring the history of dryobalanops aromatica, a critically endangered species of Camphor tree once widespread in Sumatra. Caniago's research has led him to dryobalanops aromatica specimens from Indonesia at Kew Gardens archive and herbarium, where they held the leaves and seeds of this tree - which holds great significance in his community.
This particular form of massage comes from the artist's childhood with his grandmother as a way for him to listen to stories from his grandmother about the history of the family and family roots. Weaving together storytelling, personal and collective memory, Caniago revealed connections between migration, colonisation and ecology as he delivers massage activities to the audience. [Laura Purseglove]
The works re-performed at:
Koppel Project Hive, London: The Lost and the Remained, curated by An.other Asian (2022)
Palm to Palm Performance, China Exchange UK, London, curated by An.Other Asian (2022)
Interim Show, MA Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths University of London (2023)