PANGGUNG is a project exploring sounds and architecture of the Malay world – those that are lost, those still standing strong today and those that are speculations for the future. Through this, the project will deconstruct, construct, and reconstruct traditional and contemporary Malay music, sounds of the Malay world, built and natural structures, and urban and organic architecture of the Malay world. The project title is borrowed from the Malay word for stage, as it used in the performing arts world and from the term, Rumah Panggung or stage house, which is a type of Malay house which are raised on stilts. In this instance, the worlds of sound and architecture collide on stage while also creating a stage.

Although we are living in the 21st century, artists in the traditional realm who have a contemporary practice often encounter cultural gatekeeping from senior statespersons of their art form. Similarly, as we look around us, architecture has made great advancements, but we see lesser and lesser Malay architecture in our midst. We fear their complete erasure or tokenistic adaptation of their features reserved only for cultural and Malay community-specific civic venues. We are a generation of artists who believe in that the traditional is contemporary. And in preventing its demise, we see our actions as reimagining its futures.

PANGGUNG is a long term project developed and led by Bahri & Co, and will consist of sonic and multimedia artists alongside architects and designers from Singapore and Malaysia, exploring new collaborations between Singapore and Malaysia (and Indonesia), in hopes of developing new pathways and projects born out of the Nusantara (Malay Archipelago).

The project begins its first phase at 136 GOETHE LAB with Syafiq Halid (Singapore) the duo, Kicau-Bilau (Malaysia) and artistic director, Shaifulbahri Mohamad of Bahri & Co.