Stagings of Culture and Nature: From Seed to Show
Nethra Ganesan, BA (Year: 3)
The project looks at an alternative form of the future forest - one that is the origin of cultures and traditions and how these can be preserved by using the forest as a platform
The proposal is for a congregational space and platform dedicated to the preservation and sharing of culture in the form of stories & technical skills through the art of shadow puppetry.
The programme has been divided into performance, production, spectating /communal and the transfer of knowledge.
Section-Seed to Show. Plant based raw materials are grown in the rooftop garden, which is then passed down to the artisan platform to be crafted into puppets, which are used in the shadow puppet show
Section-Knowledge transfer. The visitor center is a storehouse and museum for the puppets that are made on site and also can be bought by spectators, thus offering a source of income to the artisans.
One of the highlights of using a stepped typology is the difference in levels that allows for the blurring of programmes. The rooftop is a garden, but also works as a communal space.
The people who have always been in the background - facilitating the show now share the limelight with the performers. There is constant dialogue between performers, puppet makers and the audience.
Analysis of existing vernacular Javanese architecture - the Joglo House form.
Exploring the use of ornament to create more ductile joints to be used in areas with high-seismic activity.
Proposal for an interlocking joint system that uses traditional Javanese ornaments to increase ductility.
