At Sharjah Biennale 15, Maharani Mancanagara presents two interconnected works that explore memory, storytelling, and the silent gaps within Indonesia’s political history.
Her ongoing project Hikayat Wanatentrem (2018) appears in both its visual series and a live shadow-puppet performance. Told through allegorical animal characters, the narrative reflects on the experiences of political prisoners exiled to Buru Island, transforming historical trauma into a fable-like language that invites reflection rather than didactic conclusion. Through shifting silhouettes, narration, and layered imagery, the performance positions history as something continuously reinterpreted—fragile, contested, and alive.
Alongside it, Maharani also exhibits Susur Leluri (2021), a research-based card game that turns archival fragments and personal histories into a participatory tool. The work encourages audiences to trace connections, navigate missing stories, and assemble meaning through play—echoing the ways collective memory is built, erased, and rediscovered.
Together, these works reveal Maharani’s commitment to re-reading historical narratives through intimate formats, enabling viewers to enter complex histories through imagination, encounter, and shared interpretation.
