THE OTHER JOURNEY
The Other Journey is a multi-sensory, immersive, storytelling experience.
The movement of refugees and immigrants across the world is usually relayed through statistics, news bites, policy and campaign. Through these channels, public responses generally alternate between scorn and pity. The Other Journey instead relays the intimacy, dignity and compromise that surrounds the decision to flee – and the courage, risk and transformation it takes to belong again to a new community. Through The Other Journey, audiences are taken across the face of the globe and back home again.
The work is centred around frank, intimate interviews with three people who fled war in the villages of Sri Lanka to settle into Australia’s largest city. Set to a luscious score mixing South Asian and Western influences, the music and stories are played through portable audio players and headphones. During the work, the deep listening experience takes place in varied, beautiful settings: on a boat ride; under bird sculptures; amidst fire and oil lamps on a river bank; amongst whiffs of cinnamon and jasmine; surrounded by elegant, large-scale, outdoor video art.
We like to think of The Other Journey as an arts adventure.
The Other Journey is created by S. Shakthidharan and Aimée Falzon, and was originally produced by CuriousWorks. It premiered at Parramasala (2011) and toured to Ten Days on the Island and Footscray Community Arts Centre (2013).
To discuss touring this artwork, get in touch.
Images below by Guido Gonzalez and Alastair Bett.
THE OTHER JOURNEY EP
The EP’s downtempo, global sound is inspired by the personal reflections of families that fled Sri Lanka’s civil war in the ’90s and ’00s and built a new life for themselves in Sydney, Australia.
The opening Sea Song tells of a watery voyage and submersion; Sky Song wonders at the children and what they’ll remember; Sun Song celebrates the joy of being smitten by a new country; and Dust speaks of acceptance – of finally finding the space to grieve for those who were lost along the way.
Kurinji’s debut release also marks the arrival of the remarkable Aimée Falzon – her gorgeous vocals call out across Shakthi’s evocative sound beds, wrapping the listener up in a warm, silken embrace.
STORIES
Click on an image below to learn more about an artwork.
STAY
COUNTING AND CRACKING
LAKA
THE BONE SPARROW
