Nibua Bi (a Potion from the Red Leaves) is referring to a medicinal mixture made out of Metroxylon sagu leaves – the most essential tree for the people of Papua, a tree that can support the life. From the roots to its tips, for clothes, meals to architecture. They consider this tree as their mother, just like their forests.
Using archival footages of the original sites screened on a TV, hands dancing with liquid clay, music and narration responding to each others, forming a new poetic sequences aims to re-telling the story of Mama OA, one of the very strong women from Mpur tribe of Lembah Kebar – West Papua.
In this work, Ardelianca tried to create a bridge between her and Mama OA’s story, by accentuating “the forest is our mother” as the keywords. These keywords she found on the research report resonates to her personally, which she hopes can be the bridge for the collaborators and audience, too. Ardelianca hopes to deliver this emotions in the story.
“As if you are watching your beloved being shifted into another creature by a stranger. The perpetual series of sorrow, anger, desperation, and pain, the images are vivid even with your eyes closed. Frantic Vision is inevitable. But, the reflections of memories and hopes of ancestral connections that is buried deeper than anything, is arising in between every layers of the agitations. Manifesting a mixture of potion which force wakes you up from the paralysis, vigorously. You are awaken. We will rise again, mother..”
This work is a tribute for the women of papua, who are holding on to their rights to protect their forests and the traditions that grow with it. Their stories are huge reminder of how important it is to stop disturbing the harmonic cycle, and how it could be, and how it is all shifting when one part of it is disturbed.
“I thank You all for your bravery..”
Sasqia Ardelianca, February 28 2021
