Theatre of Memories
Drawing from historical records, archival photographs, and oral histories from the Lake Macquarie region, Kultura Collectiva transforms these fragments of memory into immersive animated visualisations. Illustrations by Dias Prabu have been brought to life through animation by Latu Arifan, resulting in a dynamic interplay of vivid colour and fluid form. At the heart of the composition are delicate line drawings based on historical photographs of Lake Macquarie residents. Woven throughout the work, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic vessels serve as carriers of memory, transporting archival imagery and evoking the passage of time.
Theatre of Memories not only preserves the lived experiences of the region’s communities but reinterprets them in ways that feel tactile, fluid, and deeply resonant. Much like the batik process itself—where dye and wax interact to create evolving forms—the exhibition invites audiences into a world where memory is not static but alive, shifting and transforming before their eyes. Presented within the 360-degree projection cube at MAP mima, the exhibition envelops visitors in an immersive environment of storytelling and cultural reflection. Voices from the past echo through animated landscapes, creating an experience that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective—a theatre in which history is performed, remembered, and reimagined. The evocative soundscape, composed by Jaeko Siena, further enhances the sensory experience, with Siena also delivering a live performance on opening night. One of Kultura Collectiva’s key objectives is to counteract cultural amnesia by bringing historical stories into modern artistic discourse.