As part of navigate, Melati Suryodarmo presented two performance works works – Alé Lino and Exergie. 

Alé Lino

Alé Lino is a performance work which articulates a need to be able to touch the layers of emptiness. This is a layer of the mind, which she considers a bridge between a human being and its God, spiritual guides, nature, the supra natural power. The transformation from being a gendered human being into a genderless identity informs the concept behind this work. The spear used in this performance is pointing, centred, at the upper part of her body. The triangle between her body, the spear and the ground is the space of her life secrets, becoming a map which contains her undiscovered patterns of behaviour.

Melati Suryodarmo started developing Alé Lino by researching the Bissu, a group of shamen who live in South Sulawesi, Indonesia and who are held in high regard by the local Bugis people. They are mostly transsexual and homosexual, though Suryodarmo is less concerned with gender diversity as a focus and more interested in the spiritual principle, which includes the transsexual state. The Bissu regard their transsexuality as a way of losing human identity as defined by gender differentiation. The highest level of spirituality the Bissu seek to attain is seen as flowing from a life free from all the sexual determination.

Exergie

There are moments Which I never expect to be happened Which are exploded when I loose my view Which remain empty when I want to fulfill

Accident is just one moment Silence is just one moment Happiness is just one moment This is just one moment Of being caught by the moment Melati dances on the butter

Melati Suryodarmo is an Indonesian artist based in Germany and Indonesia. Through the mediums of performance, video, photography and installation, Suryodarmo explores cross-cultural paradigms from the position of an insider and outsider; her European and Indonesian identity providing her with both opportunities and challenges to be explored through her highly physical and often humorously absurd performances.