Kelvin Atmadibrata

Kelvin Atmadibrata, born in Jakarta, Indonesia (1988) graduated with a BFA degree majoring on Interactive Media from the School of Art, Design and Media in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Previously living in Singapore for a decade, he is now based in Jakarta, Indonesia running PADJAK (Performance Art di Jakarta), a bi-monthly performance art gathering in the city.

The artist has participated in numerous collaborative and group exhibitions with a number of solo exhibitions and a growing list of Performance Festivals such as Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival in Illinois, USA, Melaka Art and Performance Festival in Melaka, Malaysia and Sydney Fringe in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Tokyo Wonder Site (2015) in Tokyo, Japan and Light and Space Contemporary (2013) in Quezon City of Philippines are some of the mentionable residency programs that he took part in.

CONCEPT

Work title: Remember me when you come into your kingdom

Duration: 2 hours

Translated into “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” from Al Bhed, which is a rejected tribe of technologists from the world of a role-playing game, the performance borrows the narrative of the Bible’s penitent thief (Luke 23:42). The performer carries a foldable metal ladder around the performance site, making a repetitive journey from one point to another. He wears goggles, stripping him of a recognizable feature and wears a thorny crown with silver leaves sprouting from it. As the performance goes on, fatigue materializes and endurance is tested. Occasionally, he climbs onto the ladder, positioning himself higher than his audience. The performance is accompanied by a looping soundtrack Hymn of the Fayth from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy X.

Within social context, the performance exhibits interest in power structure as a subtle response to religious conflict occurring around the world, including Indonesia.