Wayang Kulit: Shadow Puppetry of Java and Bali at Musée du quai Branly — Jacques Chirac
Figure du théâtre d'ombres représentant Siwa Murti
Bali
Deuxième moitié du 19e siècle
Cuir découpé et peint.
71.1939.127.314
© Musée du quai Branly — Jacques Chirac
Wayang Kulit
Shadow Puppetry of Java and Bali
November 12, 2024 — March 23, 2025
From Java to Bali, between light and shadows: deciphering one of Indonesia's oldest theatrical traditions, wayang kulit, a popular and timeless art form
Wayang kulit shadow puppetry is a performance and show that goes far beyond mere entertainment. Born on the island of Java over 1000 years ago, this ritualised courtly art has a particular significance in traditional Indonesian culture. While its roots trace back to the legendary Indian epics of the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyana, its repertoire has evolved over the centuries in the light of changes in society and contemporary reality.
A performance lasts an entire night and consists of flat puppets, cut from leather, projecting shadows onto a screen – wayang meaning 'shadow' or 'appearance' and kulit, 'skin'. At the centre of the show, the dalang (puppeteer, storyteller, singer and conductor) alternates gravity and humor, laughter and tears, to convey moral and spiritual values to the audience. A highly respected figure, they are the intermediary between men and the gods.
Through a selection of exceptional antique puppets, the exhibition offers keys to understanding the shadow puppetry of the Indonesian archipelago. This gallery of leather portraits features the iconography and stories of the heroes Rama and Arjuna, as well as the clown Semar. The presentation includes interviews with two dalang and contemporary artist Heri Dono, proof if proof were needed that this age-old art never ceases to reinvent itself.
Curator
Constance de Monbrison, Head of the Insulindian collections at the musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac, Paris
Commissaire associé
Julien Rousseau, Head of the Asian Heritage Unit at the musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac, Paris
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