Should You Lose Your Belongings – Dina Indrasafitri

Artist 

Dina Indrasafitri is a Jakarta-born artist now based in Mparntwe / Alice Springs, who is known for her song writing and performing, both solo and with her band Gurun. With an art practice that merges music, paintings, drawings, poetry and prose, Dina further moved to the edges of her comfort zone in Project Seed, exploring the possibilities of combining these multiple art forms to compose, record and present original songs in collaboration with a number of renowned Central Australian musicians and artists.  

Development Process 

During the development process Dina, the main composer, worked with local musicians to develop four completely new songs in a style that is different to Dina’s other work. Dina also worked with dancers and animators who interpreted the songs and worked with Dina and the musicians to create a cohesive work.   

Dina wanted to push the boundaries of her practice and have the freedom to try something new, along with the support to do so with established professional artists who could support her development.   

The intensive development period took place in August 2022 where all involved artists came together and developed the work.   

Outcome 

Dina presented a concert at Desert Festival 2022.   

Thematically, Should You Lose Your Belongings continues Dina’s exploration of the turbulences in the individual and society’s psyche – from childhood traumas, social conflicts to the blessings of everyday healing processes. Amidst times of questioning our losses, our sense of belonging and our resilience, songs came to be. Working at a nexus of pop, punk, jazz, experimentation and something like nursery rhyme, those songs included folk ballads sung accompanied by a pole dancer, and something like a Ennio Morricone meets Tom Waits ode to Jakarta, over urgent punk that dissolved in lullaby, backed by animations and storytelling.   

Contributors