MALUKU 2.0: a centuries-old tradition in a new dimension
From 16 June to 22 September 2024, Museum Maluku presents the exhibition MALUKU 2.0, a striking video installation by film director, screenwriter and editor Mano Som. The installation pays tribute to two centuries-old traditional Moluccan dance forms, the menari and the cakalele, and gives them a contemporary twist. Mano Som tells us more about the exhibition, his artistic background and the themes that inspire him.
From childhood dream to career "According to my parents I was only seven when I first said I wanted to be a film director," Som says. That dream did not remain words alone; as a child he watched countless films and at fourteen he began writing screenplays. His passion for film led him to the Sint-Lukas film academy in Brussels, where he took both his bachelor's and master's degrees. Although the academy focused mainly on art house films, he discovered his love of making music videos.
Telling a story with dance "I wanted to make music videos, but I did not know any artists," he explains. "Because music videos often feature dance, I approached students of contemporary dance and asked whether they would like to work with me." With that the project MALUKU was born. "Together with choreographer Moya Wenno I made a choreography with elements of traditional Moluccan dance forms, which we mixed with contemporary dance," Som continues. "That created a whole new dance, but it still felt Moluccan. Almost every story I had heard about Moluccan identity, in films, in television programmes or on the radio, had the same kind of narrative. About the pain of the past and the trauma. Those are of course entirely legitimate stories, but I also noticed that it means you end up in the same well-worn story every time. The idea behind MALUKU was to tell a different kind of story, one more focused on the future and on showing our talents." That experience opened his eyes to the power of dance in conveying emotion. Since then he has kept on creating dance projects with drive.
MALUKU 2.0 "MALUKU received many positive responses from the Moluccan community," Som says proudly. That inspired him to go further with MALUKU 2.0, in which he places the cakalele and menari, two traditional Moluccan dance forms, in a hypermodern setting. "I wanted to show that traditions can evolve," he says. "I placed these dances in the setting of a black box studio with modern lighting. A piece of history suddenly finds itself in a very futuristic setting." With this fresh view of a centuries-old tradition, Som creates a new, dynamic form that shows respect for the past while looking to the future.
Strength in vulnerability Vulnerability, masculinity and spirituality are recurring themes in Som's work. "These are themes that appeal to me a great deal and that I think about a lot. How can you show your vulnerability as a man? In MALUKU 2.0 you watch a powerful dance, but in between you also hear a voice-over and see certain other images that set a kind of vulnerability against it. I think it would be wonderful to show people a different image of masculinity. Not talking and not showing feelings simply does not work. Vulnerability is not weakness. There is strength in it too."
The future "I hope people visiting MALUKU 2.0 will be overwhelmed by the power of dance," Som continues. "That it brings out a certain pride. I hope it offers the older Moluccan generations reassurance that the younger generations are keeping the culture alive. And I hope it gives the younger generations a piece of strength, a sense of: 'Wow, this is simply a part of me and of who I am.' Perhaps afterwards they will want to dance cakalele or menari themselves. Of course I also hope that a great many non-Moluccans will come and see it. That we put the spotlight on our dances for a moment and introduce them to these as well." For the future Som hopes above all to stay healthy so he can go on making films. "It would be great to continue along the lines of the MALUKU projects," he says. "My passion really lies in fiction, and I hope to make a short fiction film this year or next. And the ultimate dream? A feature film of my own."
